[Efficacy of moxifloxacin (Avelox) in prophylaxis of infection in patients with profound neutropenia]

Abstract

Comparative efficacy of moxifloxacin and ciprofloxacin as prophylactics of infection in cancer patients with severe neutropenia after the chemotherapy was studied. The study included 40 patients with malignant lymphomas and solid tumore who received 52 courses of the aggressive chemotherapy. Twenty four patients (30 courses) received oral moxifloxacin in a dose of 400 mg once a day from the first day of the neutrophil count decrease below 1.0 x 10(9)/l until its recovery to > 1.0 x 10(9)/l or when the signs of infection appeared. In the control group 16 patients (22 courses) received oral ciprofloxacin in a dose of 500 mg twice a day. The patients in both the groups were compatible by the diagnosis, age and neutropenia duration. The median of the days of the febrile neutropenia duration in the patients prophylactically treated with moxifloxacin was statistically lower (2.1 vs 3.6 in the control group, p < 0.05). The incidence of febrile neutropenia in the moxifloxacin group was significantly lower than that in the control group (73 and 100% respectively, p = 0.01). The incidence of bacteriologically confirmed infection in the moxifloxacin group was also lower (6% vs 27.2%, p = 0.04). Therefore, moxifloxacin proved to be a more efficient agent vs ciprofloxacin (standard prophylactic) in prevention of febrile neutropenia and neutropenic infection in cancer patients, which is likely due to its higher activity against grampositive organisms.