QUINOLONES IN GASTROINTESTINAL INFECTIONS

Fluoroquinolones are efficient antimicrobial drugs for the treatment o f enteric fever, shigellosis, Escherichia coli diarrhea, cholera, and traveler's diarrhea. They also play a role in the therapy of yersinios is, campylobacteriosis, and intestinal salmonellosis. A single dose of quinolones has been effective in the treatment of traveler's diarrhea and cholera. Uncomplicated typhoid fever was cured by norfloxacin, pe floxacin, and ofloxacin 400 mg twice daily (b.i.d.) for 7-14 days or c iprofloxacin 500 mg b.i.d. for 10 days. A single daily dose of 400 mg fleroxacin for 3 days has been shown to be effective in this indicatio n. A few reports suggest that the newer quinolones can eliminate the c arrier state. The efficacy of quinolones in the prophylaxis and treatm ent of intra-abdominal infections following abdominal surgery requires further investigation.