Uncomplicated urinary tract infections: lomefloxacin versus trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole.

Data were collected from 14 French centres which participated in a randomized study to compare the safety and efficacy of 400 mg lomefloxacin taken orally once daily by 62 patients with 160/800 mg trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) taken orally twice daily by 64 patients with uncomplicated urinary tract infections. Most patients were infected with Escherichia coli at baseline (72.4% in the lomefloxacin group and 69.0% in the TMP/SMX group) and all patients were treated for 5 days. At 5-9 days post-treatment, lomefloxacin had eradicated the causative organism of infection in 100% of evaluable patients treated with lomefloxacin compared with 86.7% of those treated with TMP/SMX. At 4-6 weeks post-treatment, there were no marked differences in eradication rates between the two treatment groups: 83.3% and 80.0% for the lomefloxacin and TMP/SMX groups, respectively. Clinical cure rates showed no marked differences between treatment groups at 5-9 days or at 4-6 weeks post-treatment. At 5-9 days post-treatment, lomefloxacin achieved a clinical cure rate of 78.6% compared with 86.7% for TMP/SMX evaluable patients. At 4-6 weeks post-treatment, the clinical cure rates were 66.7% and 86.7% for the evaluable lomefloxacin- and TMP/SMX-treated patients, respectively. Both treatment regimens were well tolerated with a low incidence of adverse events. In conclusion, once-daily oral dosing with lomefloxacin is a safe and efficacious alternative to twice-daily dosing with TMP/SMX in the treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infections.