Abstract

The efficacy of the ciprofîoxacin as the first choice antibiotic for patients who were admitted with high fever following renal transplantation were studied. 71 patients who were admitted to Ege University Organ Transplantation and Research Center with high fever from January 1994 to March 1995 were included in this study. The age range was between 15 to 55 years. All patients who were operated in our center had received 1 gr. Cefazolin Sodium as perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. All patients were given ciprofloxacin 1.0gm/day orally or 400 mg/day intravenously on admission. Among 71 patients 48 (68%) had urinary tract infections, 10 (14%) had upper respiratory tract infections, 5 (7%) had pneumonia, 3(4%) had enteritis and 2 (3%) had sepsis. Microorganisms were isolated in the culture growths. 67% of the isolates were sensitive to ciprofloxacin. Antibiotic regimen were changed in 18 patients according to the resistant isolates (12 patients) and mycotic-parasitic growths (6 patients). All patients, but one who died of candida sepsis, were recovered. No microorganisms were isolated in 29 patients. 19 of them were recovered by ciprofloxacin treatment, while 10 patients required a second antibiotic depending on the clinical progression and severity of the infection. Ciproloxacin was effective in 60% and 75% of all patients as a single agent or in a combination respectively. Ciprofloxacin was most effective in Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). 69% of patients were completely cured by ciprofloxacin alone. This rate is improved to 79% when a second antibiotic is added. Serious side effects were not observed. As the UTI's are in the etiological factor in most of the posttransplant infections ciprofloxacin may be used as the first choice antibiotic in transplant patients whom were admitted to the hospital with high fever, but if a respiratory infection is suspected ciprofloxacin should not be chosen as the first line antibiotic.