PEFLOXACIN IN THE TREATMENT OF SEVERE INFECTIONS IN GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER-PATIENTS

Infections often complicate the medical or surgical treatment of hospi talized cancer patients. In these cases, a broad-spectrum antibiotic t reatment is necessary before the microbiological results are available . The aim of the present study is to verify the efficacy of pefloxacin as empirical antibiotic therapy in controlling infectious complicatio ns induced by surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy in female patients with gynecological cancer. To this purpose, 58 hospitalized patients with gynecologic malignancy and severe infectious complications were t reated with intravenous pefloxacin at the dosage regimen of 400 mg eve ry 12 hours. In all, 49 (or 91%) of the 54 evaluable patients were cur ed. The mean duration of successful treatment was 5.9 +/- 2.1 days (ra nging 4-13 days). No side effects or clinical laboratory abnormalities requiring reduction or discontinuation of therapy were observed. We c onclude that pefloxacin may be considered a first choice, broad-spectr um, single antibiotic for use in the empirical therapy of infections i n gynecological cancer patients.