Comparative activity of ofloxacin with reference to bacterial strains isolated in in-patients and out-patients.

The in vitro activity of ofloxacin, a new quinolone derivative, was compared to that of other agents commonly in use against pathogens isolated in the community and in the hospital. None of the community or hospital strains isolated from urinary tract infection showed resistance to ofloxacin, while variable resistance was demonstrable with all other oral agents. Similar results were obtained with pathogens isolated from infected wounds originating in the community and in the hospital. Among pathogens isolated from the respiratory tract, ofloxacin was most active against Haemophilus influenzae, but less active than the penicillin-cephalosporin group against Streptococcus pneumoniae. Ofloxacin was active against all but one (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) blood culture isolates. Of 112 strains isolated from community-acquired infections, only one strain was ofloxacin-resistant while resistance to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, ampicillin and doxycycline was 34%, 42% and 30%, respectively. Among 219 pathogens originating from nosocomial infections, 3.2% were resistant to ofloxacin compared to 56% for cefazolin, to 7.2% for cefotaxime, 15.8% for piperacillin and 22.3% for gentamicin. These results suggest that ofloxacin has great therapeutic potential for the therapy of bacterial infections originating both in the community and in the hospital.