[Two cases of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia improved by parenteral ciprofloxacin administration].

Abstract

We report here two cases of Legionella pneumophila pneumonia that were markedly improved by parenteral ciprofloxacin administration. A 69-year-old man who had previously visited a hot spring was admitted to our hospital with severe pneumonia and a 48-year-old man with dilated cardiomyopathy as an underlying disease was also hospitalized because of heart failure and pneumonia. In both cases a urinary antigen test for L. pneumophila was negative at the incipient stage, and the initial treatment with a beta-lactam agent was ineffective. However, the high titer of L. pneumophila serogroup 6 antigen in the serum at the convalescent stage revealed that these two pneumonia cases were caused by L. pneumophila, and the following intravenous administration of ciprofloxacin was highly effective. We concluded that intravenous treatment with ciprofloxacin could be effective against L. pneumophila pneumonia, which is sometimes hard to diagnose in the acute phase.

• Authors: Eisuke Sasaki, Hideyuki Kaida, Koichi Izumikawa, Kinichi Izumikawa, Kohei Hara, Yoichi Hirakata, Kazunori Tomono, Shigeru Kohno
• Journal: Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai zasshi = the journal of the Japanese Respiratory Society (Nihon Kokyuki Gakkai Zasshi) Vol. 41 Issue 3 Pg. 211-8 (Mar 2003) ISSN: 1343-3490 [Print] Japan
• PMID: 12772603 (Publication Type: Case Reports, English Abstract, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Antibodies, Bacterial
• Biomarkers
• Ciprofloxacin

Topics

• Aged
• Antibodies, Bacterial (blood)
• Biomarkers (blood)
• Ciprofloxacin (administration & dosage)
• Humans
• Infusions, Intravenous
• Legionella pneumophila (classification, immunology)
• Legionnaires' Disease (diagnosis, drug therapy)
• Male
• Serologic Tests
• Serotyping
• Treatment Outcome