Clinical efficacy and safety of fluoroquinolone containing regimens in patients with<i>Mycobacterium avium</i>complex pulmonary disease

To the Editor: Mycobacterium avium complex pulmonary disease (MAC-PD) is an increasing problem worldwide The American Thoracic Society/Infectious Diseases Society of America (ATS/IDSA) guidelines recommend a macrolide-ethambutol-rifamycin combination as first-line treatment for MAC-PD (standard triple therapy) This therapy results in microbiological success in only 52-60% of patients Treatment discontinuation or modification due to toxicity is common Fluoroquinolones are frequently prescribed for MAC-PD Although favourable activity has been shown in vitro and in mouse models [8], there is little clinical evidence supporting their efficacy and safety for MAC-PD We sought to investigate treatment outcomes and adverse events among MAC-PD patients treated with fluoroquinolone-containing therapy versus standard triple therapy.