Levofloxacin for the treatment of pneumonia caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae including multidrug-resistant strains: pooled analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the clinical and microbiologic efficacy of levofloxacin for the treatment of subjects with pneumonia caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) Streptococcus pneumoniae (MDRSP) and non-MDRSP strains.


METHODS
A pooled analysis was conducted using data from ten clinical studies in pneumonia: five comparative studies and five noncomparative studies conducted from 1992 to 2002. This analysis included data from levofloxacin-treated subjects with S. pneumoniae isolated at study entry. Susceptibility of S. pneumoniae isolated from subjects at study entry was determined against representative agents from five antimicrobial classes: tetracyclines, sulfonamides, second-generation cephalosporins, penicillins, and macrolides. Isolates were classified as MDRSP (based on resistance to two or more antimicrobial classes) or non-MDRSP (intermediate resistance or susceptible to all classes or resistant to 1 antimicrobial class). Clinical and microbiologic efficacy of levofloxacin (i.v., p.o., or i.v./p.o. for 5 to 14 days) in the microbiologically evaluable population was determined at post-therapy; a test for homogeneity of the odds ratio of the difference in clinical success for comparative versus noncomparative studies was performed.


RESULTS
The main outcome measures were clinical success rates and microbiologic eradication rates of 419 microbiologically evaluable levofloxacin-treated subjects with MDRSP or non-MDRSP. Clinical success rates were 96.3% (52/54) and 95.1% (347/365), respectively (difference -1.2; 95% confidence interval [CI]: -6.7, 4.3). Similarly, per pathogen microbiologic eradication rates for MDRSP and non-MDRSP were 96.3% (52/54) and 95.6% (350/366), respectively (difference -0.7; 95% CI: -6.1, 4.8). Study limitations include the use of data from comparative and noncomparative studies. A test for homogeneity of the odds ratios for clinical success in comparative versus noncomparative studies showed no significant difference (p = 0.27).


CONCLUSIONS
These data support the use of levofloxacin for patients with community-acquired pneumonia caused by S. pneumoniae, including MDR strains.
Peterson
Janet
J
Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, Raritan, NJ 08869, USA. Jpeter13@its.jnj.com
Yektashenas
Behin
B
Fisher
Alan C
AC
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D064704:Levofloxacin; D008297:Male; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008875:Middle Aged; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D064704:Levofloxacin; D015242:Ofloxacin