Human aqueous humor levels of oral ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin

Purpose: To evaluate the penetration of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and moxifloxacin into the aqueous humor after oral administration. Setting. Alcorcon Hospital, Madrid, Spain. Methods. Forty-two patients having cataract surgery were randomly divided into 3 groups the day before surgery, The first group received 2 oral 500 mg doses of ciprofloxacin at 12-hour intervals, The second group received a single oral 500 mg dose of levofloxacin. The third group received a single oral 400 mg dose of moxifloxacin. At the time of surgery, 0.1 mL aqueous fluid was aspirated from the anterior chamber just before the operation and immediately stored at -80 degreesC. Drug concentrations were measured using a biological assay. Results: The mean aqueous level of ciprofloxacin was 0.50 mug/mL 0.25 (SD); of levofloxacin, 1.50 +/- 0.50 mug/mL; and of moxifloxacin, 2.33 +/- 0.85 mug/mL. The mean aqueous levels of levofloxacin and moxifloxacin were above the 90% minimum inhibitory concentration for most of the common microorganisms that cause endophthalmitis, Conclusions: Therapeutic concentrations of fluoroquinolones, mainly levofloxacin and moxifloxacin, were reached with oral administration, These antibiotics may be effective for prophylaxis and adjuvant therapy of bacterial endophthalmitis. (C) 2001 ASCRS and ESCRS.