Potential of topical norfloxacin therapy. Comparative in vitro activity against clinical ocular bacterial isolates
E. J. Goldstein, D. M. Citron, L. Bendon, A. E. Vagvolgyi, M. D. Trousdale and M. D. Appleman
Norfloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic related to nalidixic acid,
was evaluated as a topical agent for clinical efficacy in bacterial eye
infections. This study reports on the comparative in vitro activity of
norfloxacin and ten topical antibiotics (nalidixic acid, polymyxin B,
colistin, bacitracin, chloramphenicol, sulfamethoxazole, tetracycline,
erythromycin, gentamicin, and tobramycin) against 203 pathogenic eye
isolates of 17 genera (37 species). In general, norfloxacin had the
greatest potency and broadest spectrum of activity of the agents tested. It
was active against Staphylococcus aureus (minimal inhibitory concentration
against 90% [MIC90], less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/mL),
coagulase-negative staphylococci (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0
microgram/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0
microgram/mL), and Haemophilus organisms (MIC90, less than or equal to 1.0
microgram/mL).
