Efficacy and safety of high dose intravenous ciprofloxacin in the treatment of bacterial pneumonia

One hundred and fifty three hospitalized patients were enrolled in an open, prospective, multi-center study on the efficacy and safety of intravenous ciprofloxacin (400 mg i.v., b.i.d.) for acute bacterial pneumonia: 93 (63%) patients were valid for efficacy out of 148 valid for intention-to-treat analysis. The most commonly isolated organisms from 93 valid-for-efficacy patients were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (17%), Haemophilus influenzae and parainfluenzae (17%), Streptococcus aureus (14%) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (11%). Cure was achieved in 89/93 (95.7%) valid-for-efficacy patients; effective eradications were obtained in 42 (45%) and presumed eradications in 48 (52%) of the 93 patients. Mild or moderate adverse events (AE) occurred in 13/153 (8.5%) patients assessable for safety; all but one AE were rapidly reversible and only one treatment-stop (0.65%) was decided. The treatment of acute bacterial pneumonias with high-dose parenteral ciprofloxacin appears to be efficacious and well tolerated.