Oral quinolones in hospitalized patients: an evaluation of a computerized decision support intervention. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) with or without a quinolone in the prevention of infection in cancer patients. Daily norfloxacin is more effective than weekly rufloxacin in prevention of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis recurrence. [Initial antibiotherapy in severe bacterial bronchopneumopathies. Randomized study of a new quinolone: pefloxacin]. Infection prophylaxis in neutropenic patients with acute leukaemia--a randomized, comparative study with ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole/colistin. [Chemoprophylaxis of bacterial infections in granulocytopenic patients with new quinolone: a comparison of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (ST) alone with ST plus ciprofloxacin]. Effect of Lactobacillus F19 on the emergence of antibiotic-resistant microorganisms in the intestinal microflora. Quinolones in treatment of human brucellosis: comparative trial of ofloxacin-rifampin versus doxycycline-rifampin. Efficacy and Safety of Quinfamide versus Secnidazole in the Management of Amoebic Non-Dysenteric Colitis in Children.
To determine whether a computerized decision support system could increase the proportion of oral quinolone antibiotic orders placed for hospitalized patients.
                Prospective, interrupted time-series analysis.
                University hospital in the south-eastern United States.
                Inpatient quinolone orders placed from 1 February 2001 to 31 January 2003.
                A web-based intervention was deployed as part of an existing order entry system at a university hospital on 5 February 2002. Based on an automated query of active medication and diet orders, some users ordering intravenous quinolones were presented with a suggestion to consider choosing an oral formulation.
                The proportion of inpatient quinolone orders placed for oral formulations before and after deployment of the intervention.
                There were a total of 15 194 quinolone orders during the study period, of which 8962 (59%) were for oral forms. Orders for oral quinolones increased from 4202 (56%) before the intervention to 4760 (62%) after, without a change in total orders. In the time-series analysis, there was an overall 5.6% increase (95% CI 2.8-8.4%; P < 0.001) in weekly oral quinolone orders due to the intervention, with the greatest effect on nonintensive care medical units.
                A web-based intervention was able to increase oral quinolone orders in hospitalized patients. This is one of the first studies to demonstrate a significant effect of a computerized intervention on dosing route within an antibiotic class. This model could be applied to other antibiotics or other drug classes with good oral bioavailability. 59 patients who had earlier developed an infection following antineoplastic chemotherapy were randomised to receive either granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) alone or G-CSF+quinolone as prophylaxis during subsequent identical chemotherapy courses. 30 patients received 48 courses of G+CSF, while 29 patients received 44 courses of G-CSF+ofloxacin or ciprofloxacin. The overall infection rate was 23%. Patients with WHO grade IV leukopenia at the onset of prophylactic treatment developed infection in 61% of cases when on G-CSF, but only in 22% when on G-CSF+quinolone (P = 0.002). Patients with initial leukopenia of grade WHO III-I had only a 11% infection rate showing no significant difference between the treatment groups. The median duration of leukopenia < 1 x 10(9)/l was 4 days for patients receiving G-CSF alone and 3.5 days for those receiving additional quinolone. Patients developing infection had grade IV leukopenia for a median of 5 days. Both prophylactic treatments were well tolerated. We conclude that when prophylactic G-CSF is initiated at WHO grade IV leukopenia, addition of an oral quinolone reduces the risk of infection. Our aim was to compare weekly rufloxacin with daily norfloxacin in the secondary prophylaxis of spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and to examine changes in antibiotic susceptibility in fecal Escherichia coli. The method used was an open randomized clinical trial including 79 patients who received either norfloxacin 400 mg/day or rufloxacin 400 mg/week and followed up for one year. E. coli counts, quinolone susceptibility, and drug concentrations in feces were investigated in 12 patients. Cumulative one-year probability of peritonitis recurrence was 26% for patients on norfloxacin and 36% for those on rufloxacin (P = 0.16). Norfloxacin was more effective in the prevention of peritonitis recurrence due to Enterobacteriaceae (0% vs 22%, P = .01). At the end of follow-up, all 12 patients had E. coli resistant to quinolones in their feces. In conclusion, weekly rufloxacin is not an alternative to daily norfloxacin in the prevention of peritonitis recurrence. The development of quinolone-resistant E. coli in feces may be an important problem in patients on long-term quinolone prophylaxis. nan Preliminary results are presented of an ongoing, prospective, randomized, study comparing ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and co-trimoxazole/colistin for the prevention of infection in patients with acute leukaemia. The results for 59 patients (median age 47 years, range 21-72) included 88 episodes of neutropenia, each associated with a course of cytotoxic therapy. The main factor measured was the time elapsed from the beginning of neutropenia (neutrophils less than 500/microliter) until the first infectious febrile episode. The median time for the period was 12 days (range 1-56) for the cotrimoxazole/colistin group, 15 days (range 1-38) for the ofloxacin group and 20 days (range 1-36) for the ciprofloxacin group (differences not significant). Microbiologically proven major infections occurred in 10/27 treatment courses with co-trimoxazole/colistin 7/31 courses with ofloxacin and 7/30 courses with ciprofloxacin (P not significant). These were mostly due to Gram-positive cocci. There were no Gram-negative infections in the quinolone groups compared with one major Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection in the co-trimoxazole/colistin group. No Pneumocystis carinii infections were encountered. Adverse reactions associated with co-trimoxazole/colistin required discontinuation of medication in 11/27 treatment courses because of compliance problems, skin reactions or gastrointestinal intolerance. There were significantly fewer discontinuations in the ofloxacin (n = 2) and in the ciprofloxacin groups (n = 3). Major side effects of the quinolones included persistent icterus in one patient receiving ofloxacin and psychiatric symptoms in one patient receiving ciprofloxacin. It is concluded from these data that there were no statistically significant differences between the three treatment groups in respect of the prevention of infection.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) Fifty-three granulocytopenic patients were studied in a randomized trial comparing trimethoprim-sulfamethoxaxole (ST) alone with ST + ciprofloxacin (CPFX) for prevention of bacterial infections. Seventeen febrile episodes occurred in 24 patients receiving ST alone, and 9 febrile episodes occurred in 29 patients receiving ST + CPFX. ST + CPFX was significantly effective than ST alone (p < 0.005). Although ST alone was effective to prevent infections in moderately granulocytopenic patients, it could not prevent infections in severely granulocytopenic patients whose minimal granulocyte count was less than 250/microliters during prophylactic treatment. In contrast, ST + CPFX was effective in severely as well as in moderately granulocytopenic patients. Clinically significant adverse reactions were not observed in both regimens. These results suggest that combination with ST and CPFX is more efficacious than ST alone for the prevention of bacterial infections in granulocytopenic patients. Probiotic lactic-acid-producing bacteria have been used for prevention of gastrointestinal diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine whether Lactobacillus F19 in conjunction with treatment with penicillin, ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin prevents establishment of resistant bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract.
                Twenty patients admitted to hospital due for treatment with penicillin and 16 patients due for treatment with ciprofloxacin or norfloxacin were included in the study. In either group, the patients were randomized into two groups, receiving placebo or an active probiotic product. Faecal samples were collected before treatment, on day 10 and 1 month after the start of the treatment. Isolates of enterococci, enterobacteria and Bacteroides fragilis species were screened for resistance to penicillin and ciprofloxacin, respectively.
                Administration of penicillin did not influence resistance in enterococci while quinolone resistance increased during quinolone treatment. Susceptibility to ampicillin and piperacillin/tazobactam decreased in enterobacteria during penicillin treatment and ciprofloxacin resistance increased in the quinolone group. Penicillin and quinolones did not influence the resistance rates of Bacteroides isolates. No major differences were observed between the probiotic- and placebo-supplemented groups.
                There was a limited effect of Lactobacillus F19 on the emergence of resistant isolates during treatment with penicillin and quinolones. Quinolones have been reported to be active against Brucella species in vitro. In this prospective randomized study, the efficacy and safety of the combination of ofloxacin plus rifampin were compared with the efficacy and safety of doxycycline plus rifampin, both combinations administered for a 6-week period in treatment of brucellosis. Sixty-one patients were enrolled in the study, and 49 had blood or bone marrow cultures positive for Brucella melitensis. Thirty patients received 200 mg of doxycycline plus 600 mg of rifampin once daily, and 31 patients were treated with 400 mg of ofloxacin plus 600 mg of rifampin once daily for 6 weeks. Nine patients in each group had complications of the disease. There was one therapeutic failure in the ofloxacin-rifampin treatment group, and one patient from each group relapsed (3.3% of those in the doxycycline-rifampin treatment group versus 3.2% of those in the ofloxacin-rifampin treatment group). Gastric discomfort was the major side effect observed in 13 patients (43.3%) who received doxycycline plus rifampin, whereas only 2 patients (6.5%) treated with ofloxacin plus rifampin complained of gastric irritation. These results suggest that the combination of ofloxacin plus rifampin administered for 6 weeks is as effective as doxycycline plus rifampin given for the same period, regardless of the presence of complications of the disease. Objective: To compare the efficacy and safety of single doses of quinfamide and secnidazole in the treatment of amoebic non-dysenteric colitis in children. Design: This was a prospective, longitudinal, double-blind, randomised, comparative study. Setting: The participants were students or relatives of students at two urban elementary schools in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico. Participants: Patients aged between 2 and 15 years of age with cysts of Entamoeba histolytica in stool samples for 3 consecutive days as detected by Faust's concentration method were enrolled in this study. Interventions and Outcome Measures: Single doses of quinfamide 4.3 mg/kg or secnidazole 30 mg/kg were administered. Patients were asked about the acceptability of the flavour of the drugs. Efficacy was evaluated by the presence or absence of E. histolytica cysts in stool samples on the fifth, sixth and seventh days after administration of the drugs. Adverse events were evaluated by direct questioning of patients. Results: 734 patients were evaluated by coproparasitoscopy, of whom 239 (32.6%) had E. histolytica cysts. 112 patients were randomised to receive quinfamide and 127 to receive secnidazole. Differences in age, bodyweight, size and gender distribution were not statistically significant between the groups. 108 patients (96%) in the quinfamide group and 15 patients (12%) in the secnidazole group reported the flavour as good (p < 0.0001). 95 patients (85%) in the quinfamide group and 93 patients (73%) in the secnidazole group had negative stool samples at the end of treatment (p = 0.04). Nausea (p < 0.0001), abdominal pain (p < 0.05) and unpleasant taste (i.e. metallic taste 3 to 5 days after administration of secnidazole) in mouth (p < 0.0001) were more common in the secnidazole group than in the quinfamide group. Conclusions: Quinfamide is an excellent option for amoebic non-dysenteric colitis because of its high parasitoscopic efficacy, minimum adverse effects and good acceptance by children. The single-dose schedule guarantees completion of treatment.
We found no significant differences in clinical or microbiological efficacy between quinolones but some differences in occurrence and spectrum of quinolone safety.