A case of empyema thoracis by Nocardia farcinica successfully treated with sitafloxacin
Taku Oikawa Ryo Kato Ken Nakagawa Shiro Mizuno Kazuhiro Osanai Hirohisa Toga
Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa Medical University
A 76-year-old woman was referred to our hospital because of pleuritis. Initially, the patient responded to sulbactam/ampicillin administration, but she developed an empyema thoracis after changing to oral levofloxacin administration. A multidrug-resistant gram-positive bacillus was cultured from her pleural effusion, and the isolates were identified as Nocardia farcinica. She was treated with pleural drainage by imipenem/cilastatin and minocycline administration, but her symptoms worsened after changing to oral sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. After changing to sitafloxacin administration, however, the patient gradually recovered and was cured one year later. Sitafloxacin may be useful in other cases of nocardiosis.
Sitafloxacin Pulmonary nocardiosis Empyema thoracis Drug resistance
Received 16 Nov 2012 / Accepted 21 Jan 2013
AJRS, 2(4): 424-428, 2013