[Evaluation of ciprofloxacin for the treatment of severe bacterial infections].

The results of efficacy and safety of ciprofloxacin administered by parenteral and oral route in the treatment of severe infections-particularly, osteomyelitis and bacteremia-due to gram-negative bacilli are studied in the present work. The group consisted of 34 patients, there were 25 men and 9 women, whose age ranged from 5 to 84 years. Two patients were excluded from the study and did not enter in the efficacy analysis, although they accounted for the evaluation of incidence of side effects. Ten patients presented osteomyelitis, 16 patients had bacteremia (one of them, with endocarditis), and six patients suffered from other types of infection (one of them had meningitis). All patients recovered or presented clinical improvement with the treatment, except three of them, which accounted for a response rate of 90.6%. In 28 of the 32 evaluable cases, microbiologic eradication was achieved (eradication rate, 87.5%). Infection due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa persisted or recurred in three patients with chronic osteomyelitis; in two of them, the strain become resistant to ciprofloxacin, and in the third patient, the results of cultures persisted positive along the whole course, thus, the eradication of the microorganism was not achieved. One woman presented bacteremia due to Acinetobacter which persisted despite antibiotic therapy. Side effects were mild and obliged to withdraw the treatment in two cases (dizziness). Ciprofloxacin is a new fluoroquinolone that is easily administered by parenteral and oral route. In the present study, it has revealed as safe and highly efficacious, even in particularly severe or resistant bacterial infections.