Comparison of cefotaxime and ofloxacin in treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.
OBJECTIVE
Gold-standard treatment of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis currently involves 3rd generation cephalosporins. To evaluate the efficacy of ofloxacin in this infection, we compared a combined therapy with intravenous and oral ofloxacin to intravenous cefotaxime.


METHODS
Thirty cirrhotic patients with spontaneous bacterial peritonitis were assigned to receive either intravenous (1 g/12 h) cefotaxime for 7 days (n=17) or intravenous (200 mg/12 h) ofloxacin for 2 days followed by oral (200 mg/12 h) ofloxacin for 5 days (n=13). All cases had community-acquired spontaneous bacterial peritonitis.


RESULTS
The infection resolution rate on the 7th day of therapy was 82.4% in the cefotaxime group and 92.3% in the ofloxacin group. Hospital survival rates were 82.4% and 100%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Oral ofloxacin after a short course of intravenous ofloxacin is effective in the treatment of uncomplicated spontaneous bacterial peritonitis. This regimen may allow physicians to treat these patients as outpatients as soon as their intravenous therapy is completed.
Taşkiran
Bengür
B
3rd Clinics of Internal Medicine, Izmir Atatürk Teaching and Research Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. barbe7426@yahoo.com
Colakoğlu
Onder
O
Sözmen
Bülent
B
Unsal
Belkis
B
Aslan
Sakine L
SL
Buyraç
Zafer
Z
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010538:Peritonitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D011336:Probability; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D015242:Ofloxacin; D002439:Cefotaxime