Efficacy and Safety of Levofloxacin Treatment of Community—Acquired Pneumonia in Hospitalized Patients

The aim of this prospective study was to determine the efficacy and safety of levofloxacin in the treatment of community-aquired pneumonia (CAP) in outpatient with ineffective antibiotic management, requiring hospitalization. The examined group included 25 patients (11 M, 14 F) of mean age 70 ± 17.5 years with abnormalities in X-ray on admission to hospital. Risk factors for pneumonia and previous antibacterial therapy were analyzed. In the hospital they were treated for 7 days with levofloxacin 500 mg twice a day administred intravenously. Body temperature, blood cell count, ESR, CRP, AST, ALT, LDH, CPK, creatine, urea, potassium, sodium, ABG, and ECG were measured on admission and in the 3-rd and 7- th day of therapy. The chest X-rays were performed and analyzed on hospital discharge. 18 patients were aged > 65 yrs, cardiovascular diseases co-existed in 14, COPD in 9, smoking habit in 12, renal failure in 3, diabetes in 3 and alkohol addiction in 1 cases. On admission 4 patients had respiratory failure, 10 hypoxaemia. During therapy a decrease of body temperature (p < 0.001), concentration of CRP (p < 0.004) and LDH (p < 0.03), CPK (p < 0.04) and increase of PaO₂ (p < 0.012) were observed. The changes of other parameters were not statistically significant. We did not observe any changes in ECG. On discharge from the hospital in 16 patients complete regression and in 6 patients partial regression of lesions in chest X-ray examination were observed. In 3 patients levofloxacin therapy was noneffective: in 2 because of persistent high body temperature after 3 days of treatment and in 1 patients because of recurrent of fever. Adverse events were mild. Transient exacerbation of renal failure was observed in 3 patients. Our study demonstrates that levofloxacine ni dose 2 × 500 mg given intravenously for 7 days is effective and safe in treatment of CAP in patients with previously ineffective antibacterial therapy.