Treatment of skin and soft tissue infections with oral ciprofloxacin.

Thirty adult patients with severe skin and soft tissue infections (four with contiguous osteomyelitis) caused by a variety of bacterial pathogens were treated with oral ciprofloxacin. Favourable clinical responses were observed in 23 (92%) of the 25 evaluable cases. All Enterobacteriaceae and anaerobic bacteria were eradicated during treatment. Enterococci, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were usually eradicated but occasional strains persisted during treatment. Strains that persisted during treatment were associated with therapeutic failure in two cases, one with contiguous osteomyelitis and one with vascular gangrene. The only significant adverse reaction observed was nausea and/or vomiting in five of the 30 patients.