A comparison of the safety and efficacy of lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin in the treatment of complicated or recurrent urinary tract infections.

The efficacy and safety of two fluoroquinolone antimicrobial agents, lomefloxacin and ciprofloxacin, were compared in a randomized, investigator-blinded, multiple-dose study that enrolled 150 adult outpatients with complicated or recurrent urinary tract infections. A total of 75 patients were treated with 400 mg of lomefloxacin once daily for 10-14 days; an equal number of patients received 500 mg of ciprofloxacin every 12 hours for 10-14 days. Both groups of patients were comparable in terms of demographics and distribution of underlying conditions. The most frequently occurring pathogens in both groups were Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae. A total of 142 patients met the criteria for efficacy evaluation, 72 in the lomefloxacin group and 70 in the ciprofloxacin group. Eradication of the initial pathogen (post-treatment culture of less than or equal to 10(4) colony-forming units (CFU)/mL) was noted in 97.2% of patients treated with lomefloxacin and in 95.7% of ciprofloxacin-treated patients. Clinical success (disappearance or amelioration of presenting signs and symptoms) occurred in 98.6% of lomefloxacin-treated patients and in 95.7% of patients treated with ciprofloxacin. The differences in outcome between the two treatment groups were not statistically significant. Both drug regimens were well tolerated. There were no clinically significant changes in clinical laboratory values during treatment. In the lomefloxacin group three patients reported nausea, one nervousness, and one pruritus; in the ciprofloxacin group, two patients reported nausea and three pruritus. Two lomefloxacin-treated patients (3%) and four patients treated with ciprofloxacin (5%) withdrew from treatment because of adverse events. A single daily dose of 400 mg lomefloxacin was comparable to 500 mg ciprofloxacin every 12 hours for the treatment of complicated or recurrent urinary tract infections.