Mohammed K. El-Habil
Al-Rantisy Specialized Pediatric Hospital, Palestine
Title: Ciprofloxacin for the treatment of non-resolving pneumonia in a tertiary care pediatric hospital
Biography
Biography: Mohammed K. El-Habil
Abstract
Purpose: Data regarding the use of ciprofloxacin in children with non-resolving pneumonia are scarce. The present study aims to evaluate the effect of ciprofloxacin therapy in pediatric patients with non-resolving pneumonia.
Methods: Over the past year, all pediatric patients with non-resolving pneumonia who received ciprofloxacin treatment in the pulmonary unit of Al-Rantisy specialized pediatric hospital in Gaza, Palestine, were included in this retrospective study. Ciprofloxacin was given for all patients in a dose of 20 mg/kg/day divided into two doses. Patient demographic data, clinical symptoms recorded, sputum culture findings and ciprofloxacin therapeutic outcome were gathered. Data was analyzed using computer software SPSS version 11.
Results: The study included 57 patients with non-resolving pneumonia, 36 males and 21 females with mean age of 3.4 years, ranged from 2 month to 8 years. Fever (73.7%) and cough (89.5%) were the most common symptoms. Positive culture was obtained in 42 (73.6%) patients while 15 (26.4%) showed negative results. The most common organism isolated in the positive cultures was Pseudomonas aeruginosa 26 (62.0%). Among the study sample, 23 (40.4%) patients received ciprofloxacin as empirical therapy and 34 (59.6%) received this drug depending on culture sensitivity results. There was a significant decrease in body temperature levels (P<0.001) at day 1, 2 and 3 of ciprofloxacin treatment. Overall, ciprofloxacin was effective in the treatment of 53 (93.0%) patients of the present study. Only 4 (7%) cases showed resistant to this therapy. The mean length of hospital stay was 7.5 days. No side effects were reported during the course of this study.
Conclusion: Data of the present study suggest that ciprofloxacin is effective and safe, including as initial monotherapy, for the treatment of pediatric patients with nonresolving pneumonia.