The specific aims of this research are to study, document, and evaluate the extent to which the 4-quinolones antibiotics (norfloxacin, ciprofloxacin, enoxacin, perfloxacin, ofloxacin, and amifloxacin) widen the antimicrobial spectrum and to compare the effectiveness of these antimicrobial agents on bacterial pathogens isolated from different body sites of patients at Charlotte Memorial Hospital. The 4-quinolones are a class of new, synthetic antimicrobial agents having broad-spectrum, potent antimicrobial activity, favorable pharmacokinetics, and oral bioavailability. They offer hope of treating infections that presently require parental therapy. The inoculum of each pathogen will be standardized using a T Bac-Stat spectrophometer and will be tested for antimicrobial susceptibility using the method of Kirby-Bauer. The width of toxic zone will be measured by calipers and individual pathogens will be classified sensitive or resistant to a particular 4-quinolone according to the width of the toxic zone. The test results will be entered into computer files for subsequent processing and analysis. Database processing techniques will be used to provide summaries and printed reports of test results as well as random sampling for statistical test of significance of the success rates of the 4- quinolones. The test results will be provided to Charlotte Memorial Hospital on a monthly basis to assist clinicians in selecting the 4- quinolone most effective in treating a particular infection.
