Pefloxacin in the antibacterial treatment of immunodepressed patients

J Chemother. 1990 Jun;2(3):185-9. doi: 10.1080/1120009x.1990.11739016.

Abstract

Pefloxacin 800 to 1200 mg daily was given for 3 to 20 days, orally or intravenously, to 84 immunocompromised patients. Five patients dropped out because of side effects and 2 for other causes. Treatment efficacy was evaluated in 77 patients, 43 men and 34 women, aged 18 to 80 years. Immunodepression resulted from malignancy in 46 patients, LAS/ARC or AIDS in 28, and from unknown causes in 3. Fifty-eight patients had documented infections (respiratory-tract infections 29, urinary-tract infections 13, septicemia 10, other 6) and 19 had a fever of unknown origin (FUO). Cure or significant improvement of symptoms was achieved in 81% of patients with documented infections and in 74% of patients with FUO. Side effects (mainly gastrointestinal disturbances and skin rash) occurred in 7 patients (8.2%), including dropouts. These results suggest that pefloxacin may be useful for the antibacterial treatment of immunodepressed patients.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Multicenter Study

MeSH terms

  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / complications
  • Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome / immunology
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Bacterial Infections / drug therapy*
  • Bacterial Infections / etiology
  • Humans
  • Immune Tolerance*
  • Middle Aged
  • Multicenter Studies as Topic
  • Neoplasms / complications
  • Neoplasms / immunology
  • Pefloxacin / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Pefloxacin