Efficacy and tolerability of moxifloxacin in the treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis caused by penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae: a pooled analysis.

BACKGROUND

Penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) has become a relatively common pathogen in upper and lower respiratory tract infections, including acute bacterial sinusitis (ABS).

OBJECTIVE

The goal of this analysis was to assess the efficacy and tolerability of moxifloxacin in the treatment of ABS caused by penicillin-sensitive S pneumoniae (PSSP) and PRSP METHODS: Two prospective, multicenter, open-label, noncomparative US trials of moxifloxacin were included in this pooled analysis. All patients received oral moxifloxacin 400 mg once daily for 7 to 10 days. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of moxifloxacin and penicillin were determined using the E-test and standard broth-microdilution methods. The primary end point was clinical success at the test-of-cure visit (21-37 days after completion of therapy) in patients with a positive pretherapy sinus culture. Data are presented for patients with ABS caused by both PSSP and PRSP RESULTS: Of 806 patients enrolled in the 2 studies, 146 had microbiologically confirmed bacterial infection. Sixty-nine patients had ABS caused by S pneumoniae, including 15 confirmed cases of PRSP infection. The majority of the 69 clinically evaluable patients were white (n = 63) and female (n = 46), and the mean age of this population was 43 years. Investigators categorized the episode of ABS as severe in 26 (37.7%) of clinically evaluable patients and of moderate severity in the remainder (62.3% [43]); however, most patients (78.3% [54/69]) reported >/=1 severe symptom. The episode of ABS was classified as severe in 8 (53.3%) of the 15 patients with PRSP infection. Clinical and bacteriologic success at the test-of-cure visit was achieved in 93.3% (14/15) of patients with PRSP infection, compared with 88.4% (61/69) of all patients infected with S pneumoniae regardless of penicillin susceptibility. Moxifloxacin MICs against the 15 PRSP strains ranged from 0.06 to 0.25 microg/mL. Data from 805 patients were available for tolerability analysis. The most commonly occurring adverse events were nausea, headache, and diarrhea. Generally, adverse events were mild to moderate. None of the 6 serious adverse events reported were considered related to moxifloxacin therapy.

CONCLUSION

In this small cohort of patients, moxifloxacin provided clinical and bacteriologic cures in the majority of patients with ABS caused by PRSP, including those with severe sinusitis.