Efficacy and safety of intravenous ciprofloxacin in the treatment of serious infections. A comparison with ceftazidime.

Intravenous ciprofloxacin (200 mg every 12 hours) was compared with intravenous ceftazidime (1 g every eight hours) as therapy for 62 episodes of severe infections occurring in 60 adult patients, all of whom failed previous antimicrobial therapy. The study was designed as a prospective, controlled, randomized, non-blinded trial in a tertiary university care center. A variety of infections including skin and skin structure, urinary tract, bacteremia, pneumonia, and intra-abdominal infections were treated. Clinical cure was achieved in 83.3 percent (25 of 30) of patients treated with ciprofloxacin and in 87 percent (26 of 30) of patients treated with ceftazidime (p = 0.4). Bacteriologic and overall responses were also similar in both treatment groups (p = 0.4 and 0.375, respectively). Intravenous ciprofloxacin administered twice daily is an effective treatment for severe infections caused by susceptible organisms.

Double-blind comparison of ciprofloxacin with cefotaxime in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections.

Oral ciprofloxacin (750 mg twice daily) was compared with intravenous cefotaxime (2 g three times daily) as therapy for 61 episodes of skin and skin structure infections occurring in adult patients. A variety of infections including cellulitis, infected ulcers, abscesses, and other miscellaneous infections were treated. Clinical cure was achieved in 77 percent (24 patients) of 31 patients treated with ciprofloxacin and in 76 percent (22 patients) of 28 patients treated with cefotaxime. The response was slower in infected diabetic patients than in non-diabetic patients in both groups. Side effects were minimal and appeared only in the cefotaxime group. Ciprofloxacin taken twice daily was as effective as cefotaxime administered intravenously three times daily in the treatment of skin and skin structure infections.