title: Treatment of pyogenic (non-tuberculous) spondylodiscitis with tailored high-dose levofloxacin plus rifampicin.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical efficacy of high-dose levofloxacin plus rifampicin in the empirical treatment of non-tuberculous spondylodiscitis in an epidemiological context of low incidence of staphylococcal fluoroquinolone resistance. All consecutive adult patients with spondylodiscitis (January 2003 to December 2006) were empirically treated with high-dose levofloxacin (500 mg every 12 h normalised to renal function and optimised by means of therapeutic drug monitoring whenever feasible) plus rifampicin 600 mg every 24 h. Trough and peak plasma concentrations were targeted at 1-3 mg/L and 6-9 mg/L, respectively, to maximise the concentration-dependent activity of levofloxacin in bone. Follow-up was performed until 9 months after the end of therapy. Forty-eight patients were included. Eleven patients underwent a surgical approach for spine stabilisation. Among the 29 bacterial isolates, Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent (65.5%) (all meticillin-susceptible strains). Tailored levofloxacin plasma exposure over time was ensured in most cases. Median treatment duration was 15.1 weeks. Overall response rates were: 77.1% at the intent-to-treat analysis; 84.1% among patients who completed therapy (N=44); and 96.3% among those receiving targeted therapy against documented levofloxacin-susceptible isolates (N=27). No patient had evidence of disease relapse at follow-up. Our findings suggest that high-dose levofloxacin regimens may be highly effective in the treatment of non-tuberculous spondylodiscitis and support its putative role in combination with rifampicin against S. aureus.
authors.affiliation: Clinic of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medical and Morphological Research, Medical School, University of Udine, Italy. pierluigi.viale@uniud.it
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Viale
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Furlanut
authors.forename: Luigia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Scudeller
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pavan
authors.forename: Camilla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Negri
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Crapis
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Zamparini
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zuiani
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cristini
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015299:Discitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D012293:Rifampin