Conventional Antipseudomonal Therapy in Cystic Fibrosis ... . . . is more effective than oral quinolone therapy

In an open study, the clinical efficacy of quinolone therapy was compared with that of conventional antipseudomonal therapy in 26 adults with cystic fibrosis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Patients received 2 courses of conventional therapy (tobramycin and a beta-lac tam antibiotic administered IV) followed by 1 course each of oral ciprofloxacin 750mg bid and then oral ofloxacin 400mg bid (the order of quinolone therapy was randomly reversed in some patients) . Two repeat courses of conventional therapy followed. Treatment was administered for 14 days with a 3-month washout period between each course.

Compared with baseline values, all treatment courses produced significant improvement in FVC, FEV 1 and PEFR. For the most seriously affected patients, with a mean FVC of 49% of the predicted value, conventional therapy resulted in greater increases in the pulmonary function parameters compared to quinolone therapy. Furthermore, 3 months after the last quinolone treatment course, the mean pulmonary function values were significantly lower than values recorded at the start of quinolone therapy in this subgroup of patients .

The authors concluded ' ... in terms of improving lung function the clinical efficacy of monotherapy with ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin does not match that of conventional combination chemotherapy in the most severely affected patients'. Jensen T. Pedersen SS, H0iby N, Koch C. European Journal of Clinical Microbiology 6: 618·622, Dec 1987 .",

12 INPHARMA'" 9 April 1988 0156-2703/88/0409-0012/ 0$01 ,00/0 © ADIS Press