Efficacy and Safety of Ciprofloxacin XR 1000 mg Once Daily versus Ciprofloxacin 500 mg Twice Daily in the Treatment of Complicated Urinary Tract Infections

The aim of this trial was to compare the efficacy and safety of extended-release ciprofloxacin (CIPRO XR) versus the immediate-release formulation (CIPRO IR) in the treatment of complicated urinary tract infections (UTIs). 212 patients were randomized to CIPRO XR 1,000 mg tablet once daily or CIPROXIN IR 500 mg tablet twice daily. Treatment efficacy was evaluated by bacteriological outcome. Safety was measured by recording adverse events. The rate of bacteriological eradication was 83% in the CIPRO XR group and 75% in the CIPRO IR. The overall incidence of adverse events reported was higher in the CIPRO IR group. The authors conclude that CIPRO XR is a safe and effective treatment for complicated UTIs. Although the limited data available do not consent to support a statistically superior efficacy or safety compared to CIPRO IR, a trend in favor of CIPRO XR is clearly evident in all efficacy and safety variables. CIPRO XR is associated with reduced frequencies of drug-related adverse events compared to CIPRO IR.