A prospective, open-label study of single-dose ciprofloxacin absorption after chemotherapy in patients with malignancy.

The absorption of a single oral dose of ciprofloxacin 750 mg in patients with cancer who had chemotherapy-induced Cancer and Leukemia Group B grade I or II mucositis was evaluated. Ciprofloxacin was administered after an overnight fast. Plasma samples were collected before and 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 12 hours after the dose. Drug concentrations were determined by reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection. Pharmacokinetic values were characterized by noncompartmental methods. The mean +/- SD for area under the curve, mean peak concentration (C(max)), and time to C(max) (T(max)) were 18.7 +/- 5.03 mg/L x hour, 4.41 +/- 1.74 mg/L, and 1.81 +/- 0.843 hours, respectively. The absorption of oral ciprofloxacin in patients with chemotherapy-induced grade I or II mucositis compares with that in healthy volunteers. These findings may call for further pharmacokinetic evaluation of the drug in a similar patient population.

The use of amphotericin B in nosocomial fungal infection.

The use of potent broad-spectrum antibacterial agents, the increasing number of immunocompromised hosts, and the use of invasive treatment modalities have exacerbated the problems involved in the management of nosocomial fungal infection. The hospital records at a tertiary-care medical center were retrospectively reviewed in an effort to determine the magnitude of these problems. A plethora of fungal species were isolated from patients. Hospital infection surveillance revealed between 30 and 40 nosocomial yeast infections per month, with 20% of nosocomial urinary tract infections caused by yeasts rather than by bacterial pathogens and one or two cases of fungemia per week. Although these figures represent a large number of nosocomial fungal infections, a significant increase in the number of such infections over the last several years could not be documented. The use of amphotericin B was found to have increased each year. The patterns of use of amphotericin B changed little between 1983 and 1987, but the number of patients treated with this agent increased dramatically.

Amphotericin B: 30 years of clinical experience.

Amphotericin B, the first commercially significant antifungal drug, has been available for more than 30 years. This polyene macrolide antifungal agent continues to play a major role in the treatment of systemic fungal infections, despite the introduction of newer agents such as the azoles. Given the proved efficacy of amphotericin B--and the increasing number of indications for antifungal agents--an extensive review of this drug is warranted. This paper discusses the clinical uses of amphotericin B, including its application in AIDS-related fungal infections, in neutropenic cancer patients who are persistently febrile, and in infections of the central nervous system, lung, peritoneum, genitourinary system, eye, and skin. The paper also reviews the drug's adverse reactions, with a discussion of administration techniques that may reduce these reactions, and its spectrum of activity, pharmacokinetics, and dosage and administration.

Retrospective review of amphotericin B use in a tertiary-care medical center.

A retrospective review of amphotericin B use in a tertiary-care medical center was conducted, and use patterns were evaluated. The pharmacy department audited the medical records of all patients who received amphotericin B during 1983. Of 179 patients who received amphotericin B, the medical records of 140 patients were suitable for review. Amphotericin B use increased almost tenfold over a six-year period. Medical services used approximately two thirds of the total drug, while surgery used one fourth. Amphotericin B was used systemically in 98 patients and as a bladder irrigant in 42 patients. In a third of cases, the drug was used when a fungal infection was not documented. Daily dosages of less than 25 mg and total dosages of 500 mg were commonly administered. Amphotericin B was frequently administered with other antimicrobial agents in patients with serious underlying diseases; therefore, evaluation of its efficacy in all patients was difficult. Clinical nephrotoxicity was detected during treatment in approximately 15% of patients. Amphotericin B is no longer used exclusively for classical deep-seated mycoses; frequently, the drug is used as empiric treatment for candida and aspergillus infections. Amphotericin B use has risen because of the difficulty in diagnosing deep-seated mycoses and because of the frequent isolation of yeasts from seriously ill patients. Prospective studies are needed to guide clinicians in determining indications for amphotericin B use and the proper dosage and length of treatment for the drug.