The role of the fluoroquinolones
Abstract
Over the past decade, the quinolone antimicrobial class has enjoyed a renaissance with the emergence of the fluoroquinolone subclass. Norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, enoxacin, and lomefloxacin have the advantages of broad antimicrobial activity profiles including gram-positive and -negative aerobes, favorable pharmacokinetic profiles including substantial oral bioavailability and extensive tissue distribution, and in general, favorable safety profiles. As clinical experience accumulates, our understanding of their optimum roles will become more refined. In six instances, these agents may be preferred over currently available agents: complicated urinary tract infections, empiric therapy of suspected bacterial gastroenteritis, eradication of the Salmonella carrier state, respiratory exacerbations due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in patients with cystic fibrosis, invasive external otitis, and chronic gram-negative bacillary osteomyelitis. The efficacy and convenience of these agents for the treatment of a broad range of infections have already resulted in their extensive use. Such use carries the risk of selection pressure for the development of resistance and the adverse consequences of increased cost over less expensive, equally effective alternatives. The use of the fluoroquinolones should focus on infections where there is demonstrated benefit of these agents over conventional agents or infections for which there are few or no alternatives.
Read the paper
Related studies
- Horizontal gene transfer in the human gastrointestinal tract: potential spread of antibiotic resistance genes
- Mutation supply and relative fitness shape the genotypes of ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli
- Genomic Survey of E. coli From the Bladders of Women With and Without Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms
- Characterization of cefotaxime-resistant urinary Escherichia coli from primary care in South-West England 2017–18
- Fitness cost constrains the spectrum of marR mutations in ciprofloxacin-resistant Escherichia coli
- Emerging evidence-based innovative approaches to control catheter-associated urinary tract infection: a review
Go deeper in Evidence Hub
Evidence Hub adds a study data sheet (design, sample size, evidence level, key numbers), an AI summary and a chat grounded in the paper's text.