Treatment of complicated intra-abdominal infections: Comparison of intravenous/oral trovafloxacin versus IV imipenem/cilastatin switching to oral amoxycillin/clavulanic acid

Three- to four-times-daily intravenous (IV) imipenem/cilastatin switching t o oral amoxycillin/clavulanic acid is often used to manage complicated intr a-abdominal infections. Trovafloxacin, a clinically and bacteriologically p roven new-generation fluoroquinolone antibiotic, given as single-agent, onc e-daily IV/oral therapy, can provide equivalent clinical and bacteriologica l efficacy. Tolerability and safety of up to 14 days treatment with 300 mg IV alatrofloxacin (the prodrug of trovafloxacin) switching to 200 mg oral t rovafloxacin were compared with those of 1 g IV imipenem/cilastatin switchi ng to 625 mg oral amoxycillin/clavulanic acid. Comparable incidences of adv erse events, mainly mild or moderate in intensity, were experienced in each treatment group. For both therapies, gastrointestinal events were most com mon, but diarrhoea was reported by proportionately more comparator group pa tients. In conclusion, once-daily IV-to-oral trovafloxacin has a comparable safety profile to IV imipenem/cilastatin followed by oral amoxycillin/clav ulanic acid. Cost saving may be achieved with trovafloxacin due to the lack of any need to monitor creatinine levels and the once-daily dosing regimen that allows a switch to the same orally administered drug.