Clinical update on the use of moxifloxacin in the treatment of community-acquired complicated intraabdominal infections.

BACKGROUND Community-acquired complicated intraabdominal infections (cIAIs) present problems for clinicians and have substantial impact on hospital resources. Because of the polymicrobial nature of these infections, successful management of cIAIs depends on timely and appropriate use of antisepsis and antiinfective strategies. METHODS The literature pertinent to this article was reviewed. RESULTS The Surgical Infection Society and the Infectious Disease Society of America guidelines recommend a variety of single and combined antimicrobial therapies, including fluoroquinolone therapy, for prophylactic and definitive treatment of cIAIs with different severities. Moxifloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, demonstrates a broad spectrum of antimicrobial (including anaerobic) activity, good tissue penetration into the gastrointestinal tract, and a good tolerability profile. Clinical data also have demonstrated that moxifloxacin is effective as monotherapy for patients with cIAIs. This review identifies the clinical issues impacting antimicrobial selection in cIAI and discusses data on the role of moxifloxacin in light of the current guidelines for management of these patients. CONCLUSION Moxifloxacin provides clinicians with a convenient monotherapy option for the treatment of mild-to-moderate cIAIs.