[Ciprofloxacin: an alternative oral treatment in respiratory Pseudomonas infection in cystic fibrosis].

20 CF patients, aged from 16.5 to 31.7 years, with chronic pulmonary infection due to Pseudomonas, were included in an open trial to study the efficacy of ciprofloxacin on respiratory exacerbation. Ciprofloxacin was given orally at the dose of 1500 mg/die for ten days. 16 patients concluded the entire treatment with clear clinical improvement, based on a score including 11 parameters. There has also been a significant improvement in the pulmonary function tests, and a tendency of Rx score to decrease. 4 patients interrupted the treatment on the fifth day because of clinical inefficacy. There was no increase of Pseudomonas resistance to ciprofloxacin at the end of the treatment; 30 days after no strain of pseudomonas was found resistant. We observed side-effects in 5 patients, but in no case it was necessary to discontinue the treatment. Ciprofloxacin may be considered as a good alternative to the more established antibiotic strategy in the treatment of Pseudomonas lung exacerbations in CF.