Effectiveness and safety of ofloxacin in chronic otitis media and chronic sinusitis in adult outpatients.

A multicentric study was conducted to evaluate the clinical efficacy and tolerance of ofloxacin in the treatment of chronic sinusitis and chronic otitis (CSOM) in outpatients. Two hundred milligrams of ofloxacin was administered twice a day orally for 12 days in 198 patients with chronic sinusitis and 215 patients with CSOM. Cultures for bacteriology were carried out before treatment. The spectrum of pathogens sensitive to ofloxacin included Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus mirabilis and Haemophilus influenzae. Higher concentrations of ofloxacin were obtained at sites of infection than in serum. Favorable results were achieved clinically in 93.7% of chronic sinusitis cases and 93.9% of CSOM cases. Adverse effects occurred in only 4.1% of cases. These results support the use of ofloxacin as the drug of first choice in the treatment of chronic sinusitis and CSOM in adult outpatients.