Question 2

When choosing an antimicrobial agent for treating ABECB, what features do you look for, and what are the features of levofloxacin that make it a useful agent in this setting?

I am looking for several features of an antimicrobial in this clinical setting including:

・potency
・ease of use
・coverage of the commonly found pathogens
・proven efficacy and safety
・evidence of bacterial eradication

Fluoroquinolones in general, and levofloxacin in particular, are potent concentration-dependent bactericidal agents that penetrate well into the respiratory tract. Clinical trials of fluoroquinolones have demonstrated clinical efficacy comparable to any other approved classes of antibiotics for this indication and some studies have demonstrated better bacterial eradication rates than macrolides (5). Levofloxacin has a long history of widespread usage and is considered one of the safest antibiotics that are currently available. Side effects are relatively predictable and unusual, and drug interactions are uncommon (6).