Why Might Hospital Length-of-Stay Be Shorter in Patients on a Fluoroquinolone?

Chelsea Drennan, PharmD(c) from the University of South Carolina School of Pharmacy explains why hospital length-of-stay might be shorter in patients who are on a fluoroquinolone versus a beta-lactam.

Interview transcript (slightly modified for readability):

For hospital length-of-stay, we found a statistically significant difference in the fluoroquinolone group. They stayed a day shorter than the beta-lactam group. We presume this difference is potentially because of an easier transition from intravenous (IV) to oral therapy with the fluoroquinolone versus having them on [say] a cephalosporin IV and then trying to switch them over to an oral therapy. With a fluoroquinolone, you can from IV levofloxacin or IV ciprofloxacin to oral therapy and it’s 1:1 dosing. So, it’s a pretty good option, and they do have pretty good oral bioavailability.