RISK-BENEFIT EXPERIENCE OF CIPROFLOXACIN USE IN PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS INTHE UNITED-KINGDOM

Background. Selection of the most appropriate therapeutic regimen in t he management of an infectious disease in a small child or infant is o ften difficult. Many antimicrobial agents have side effects, thus stre ssing the importance of risk vs. benefit assessment in the younger pat ient population. Frequent use of an antimicrobial agent provides the p ractitioner with critical data regarding the relative rate and intensi ty of specific adverse events. In addition the benefits of therapy in terms of rapidity of cure, return to normal life and economic outcomes may also be appreciated. Oral ciprofloxacin, although not currently i ndicated for use in children, has been available to practitioners for >10 years. Objective. Compassionate use experience with ciprofloxacin for the treatment of acute, serious infections (i.e. Pseudomonas speci es) in pediatrics is described. Results. To date ciprofloxacin has bee n a very useful agent for the management of serious infections in chil dren and has been associated with little risk of permanent joint damag e. Conclusion. These data support the use of ciprofloxacin in children in selected situations where the efficacy outweighs any considerable risk, thereby minimizing misuse and overuse of this antimicrobial agen t.