[Efficacy of levofloxacin (Tavanic) in the treatment of children with chronic pulmonary diseases].

The efficacy of the fluoroquinolone levofloxacin in the treatment of 35 children with bronchopulmonary disease exacerbation was practically the same as that of amoxycillin/clavulanate, cefotaxime or ceftriaxone. The clinical and bacteriological results were favourable. The eradication of the pathogens responsible for the bronchopulmonary inflammations in 86% of the patients was stated. There is no doubt that fluoroquinolones should not be widely used in pediatrics. They should be considered as reserve drugs for the treatment of severe cases when the routine agents fail. Their use is justified when the situation is risky and the data on the pathogen susceptibility to the drugs are available. Still, levofloxacin is the most safe fluoroquinolone with low hepatotoxicity and lower effect on the central nervous system. The episodes of its negative cardiovascular action are less frequent. Moreover, the most frequent side effects of fluoroquinolones such as nausea, diarrhea or vomiting are less frequent with the use of levofloxacin. No signs of arthropathy in the patients treated with levofloxacin were observed in our trial.