Ofloxacin is a quinolone antibiotic useful for the treatment of a number of bacterial infections. When taken by mouth or injection into a vein, these include pneumonia, cellulitis, urinary tract infections, prostatitis, plague, and certain types of infectious diarrhea. Other uses, along with other medications, include treating multidrug resistant tuberculosis. An eye drop may be used for a superficial bacterial infection of the eye and an ear drop may be used for otitis media when a hole in the ear drum is present.
Side effects and mechanisms
When taken by mouth, common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and rash. Other serious side effect include tendon rupture, numbness due to nerve damage, seizures, and psychosis. Use in pregnancy is typically not recommended. Ofloxacin is in the fluoroquinolone family of medications. It works by interfering with the bacterium's DNA.
History and culture
Ofloxacin was patented in 1980 and approved for medical use in 1985. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Ofloxacin is available as a generic medication. In 2020, it was the 242nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 1million prescriptions.
Medical uses
Ofloxacin is used in the treatment of bacterial infections such as:
Acute bacterial exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) Community-acquired pneumonia Uncomplicated skin and skin structure infections Nongonococcal urethritis and cervicitis Epididymitis Mixed Infections of the urethra and cervix Acute pelvic inflammatory disease Uncomplicated cystitis Complicated urinary tract infections Prostatitis Acute, uncomplicated urethral and cervical gonorrhea
Ofloxacin has not been shown to be effective in the treatment of syphilis.
Fluoroquinolones, the class of drug ofloxacin belongs to, were the drug of choice for treating gonorrhea in the 1980s; However, due to the development of fluoroquinolone-resistant Neisseria gonorrhoeae, fluoroquinolones were no longer used to treat gonorrhea by the late 1990s. As of 2004, the failure of single dose ofloxacin to treat gonorrhea has been reported in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
Susceptible bacteria
According to the product package insert, ofloxacin is effective against these microorganisms:
Aerobic Gram-positive microorganisms:
Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-susceptible strains) Streptococcus pneumoniae (penicillin-susceptible strains) Streptococcus pyogenes
Aerobic Gram-negative microorganisms
Citrobacter koseri (Citrobacter diversus) Enterobacter aerogenes Escherichia coli Haemophilus influenzae Klebsiella pneumoniae Neisseria gonorrhoeae Proteus mirabilis Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Other microorganisms: Chlamydia trachomatis
Adverse effects
In general, fluoroquinolones are well tolerated, with most side effects being mild to moderate. On occasion, serious adverse effects occur. Common side effects include gastrointestinal effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as well as headache and insomnia.
The overall rate of adverse events in patients treated with fluoroquinolones is roughly similar to that seen in patients treated with other antibiotic classes. A U.S. Centers for Disease Control study found patients treated with fluoroquinolones experienced adverse events severe enough to lead to an emergency department visit more frequently than those treated with cephalosporins or macrolides, but less frequently than those treated with penicillins, clindamycin, sulfonamides, or vancomycin.