Comparative prophylactic efficacies of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, cefazolin, and vancomycin in experimental model of staphylococcal wound infection.

Recent shifts in the species and antibiotic resistance patterns of bacteria causing nosocomial infections present new challenges for providing effective prophylaxis in surgery. Traditional regimens lack activity against methicillin-resistant staphylococci and many gram-negative species causing nosocomial infections. The new fluoroquinolones exhibit in vitro activity against many emerging surgical wound pathogens. To determine the potential of this class of antimicrobial agents for use in surgery, we compared the prophylactic efficacies of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin with those of cefazolin and vancomycin in a guinea pig model of abscess formation. Four Staphylococcus aureus strains, one Staphylococcus epidermidis strain, and one Staphylococcus haemolyticus strain were evaluated. Vancomycin was the most effective prophylactic agent, exhibiting in vivo activity against all strains which was superior or equivalent to those of all other agents tested. Cefazolin was the least effective agent and surpassed the two quinolones in prophylactic efficacy against only one organism, a quinolone- and methicillin-resistant strain of S. aureus. The two quinolones provided excellent protection against infection with all but the quinolone-resistant isolate. The in vivo emergence of quinolone resistance among quinolone-susceptible isolates was not detected. The methicillin-resistant, quinolone-susceptible S. epidermidis and S. haemolyticus isolates were extremely susceptible to prophylaxis, exhibiting 50% infective doses above 4 x 10(6) CFU for seven of the eight antibiotic-strain combinations. We conclude that ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin may be effective antistaphylococcal agents in surgery. The role of these agents remains to be defined, and the definition should include consideration of an adverse effect upon antibiotic resistance patterns of organisms causing nosocomial infections.