[Role of moxifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia].

INTRODUCTION

Community-acquired pneumonia is a common cause of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Moxifloxacin, a new generation fluoroquinolone have become an attractive therapeutic alternative in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia because of its excellent pharmacokinetic parameters and wide antimicrobial spectrum.

AIMS: The authors reviewed the role of moxifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia based on their experience and the data of the literature.

METHODS

The authors studied the clinical outcome of the patients treated with moxifloxacin due to community-acquired pneumonia in their hospital ward between May 1, 2002 and May 1, 2003.

RESULTS

Four patients with pneumonia were treated ineffectively by moxifloxacin during a year. Serious clinical and radiological progression occurred to each patient despite moxifloxacin therapy, and two patients had to be admitted to intensive care unit. Three patients were successfully treated by 2nd or 3rd generation cephalosporin and clarithromycin, but one patient died.

CONCLUSIONS

The authors call attention with these cases to the fact that in clinical trials oral moxifloxacin therapy was not more efficient either clinically or microbiologically than standard therapy in the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia. Moxifloxacin therapy is recommended to be reserved to patients allergic or not responsive to other antibiotics, and in the case of infections due to penicillin-resistant pneumococci.