title: Efficacy of the combination of levofloxacin plus ceftazidime in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia in the intensive care unit.
abstract: To investigate the efficacy and tolerability of treatment with a combination of levofloxacin and ceftazidime in Gram-negative hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), we performed a prospective, open-label, non-comparative, 1-year study in an Italian ICU. Patients received levofloxacin 500 mg twice a day intravenously plus ceftazidime 2 g three times a day intravenously for 7-14 days. Primary efficacy variables were clinical and microbiological responses at test-of-cure visit. Twenty-one patients were enrolled. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella pneumoniae were the most frequently identified pathogens. Clinical success was achieved in 17/21 clinically evaluable patients (81%) and in 12/15 microbiologically evaluable patients (80%). Regarding only the group with ventilator-associated pneumonia, cure was achieved in 10/14 clinically evaluable patients (71%) and in 11/14 microbiologically evaluable patients (79%). Therapy was well tolerated. We conclude that this combination regimen is safe and clinically and microbiologically efficacious in the treatment of Gram-negative HAP.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Department, S. Martino Hospital and University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy. mattba@tin.it
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bassetti
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Righi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosso
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mannelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Biagio
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fasce
authors.forename: F Bobbio
authors.initials: FB
authors.lastname: Pallavicini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marchetti
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Viscoli
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D007558:Italy; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D064704:Levofloxacin; D002442:Ceftazidime; D015242:Ofloxacin