Quinolone antibacterial agents were first introduced into the clinical environment in the early 1960s. The first qumolone to be clinically used was
nalidixic acid, which was used for the treatment of enteric and
urinary tract infections. As a result of increased clinical resistance to this
drug, its use has declined. However, the development of other chemically related antimicrobials with activities approaching one thousand times that of
nalidixic acid has meant that bacteria resistant to this early nonfluormated
quinolone are susceptible to the action of the newer
fluoroquinolones. The
fluoroquinolones, such as
ciprofloxacin and
ofloxacin, have proved to be potent antimicrobials and are used throughout the world in the treatment of
bacterial infections, ranging from
urinary tract infections to life-threatening
septicemia. The clinical success of these agents can be attributed to their broad spectrum of activity, unique mechanism of action, good tissue distribution, and absorption from the gastrointestinal tract after oral admmistration (1).