Moxifloxacin Versus Clindamycin in the Management of Odontogenic Maxillofacial Infectious Processes

September 3, 2026 updated by: Zeeshan Aslam, Nishtar Medical University

Moxifloxacin Versus Clindamycin in the Management of Odontogenic Maxillofacial Infectious Processes: A Preliminary, Intrahospital, Controlled Clinical Trial

We are conducting a trial to compare moxifloxacin against clindamycin for dental infections that spread to the face and jaw. The study will enroll 60 adults who are being treated as outpatients for localized abscesses or cellulitis. Every patient will first receive minor surgical drainage in the clinic. Following drainage, they are randomly assigned to take either moxifloxacin (400 mg once daily) or clindamycin (300 mg four times daily) for 5 to 7 days.

Our primary focus is early pain relief. We will measure the drop in pain scores using a 100 mm visual scale at the day 2-3 follow-up visit. We also plan to track how many patients are fully cured by day 5-7, monitor any side effects, and test the infection samples to see exactly which bacteria are present and how they respond to both drugs.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
60

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Locations

  • Pakistan
    • Punjab Province
      • Multan, Punjab Province, Pakistan, 60000
        • Nishtar Institute of Dentistry Multan
        • Contact:
        • Principal Investigator:
          • Zeeshan Aslam, FCPS Resident (OMFS)

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Patients aged 18 years and above of either gender presenting to the Outpatient Department of the Nishtar Institute of Dentistry, Department of Maxillofacial Surgery.
  • Clinical and radiographic diagnosis of an odontogenic maxillofacial infection - gingival inflammatory infiltrate or a localized abscess/cellulitis (ICD-10: K04, K05) - manageable on an outpatient basis with minor office-based surgical drainage (incision/drainage, extraction, or trepanation under local anaesthesia) and adjunctive oral antibiotic therapy, not requiring hospital admission.
  • Patients providing written informed consent for participation.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Known hypersensitivity to fluoroquinolones, lincosamides, or cephalosporins.
  • Pregnant or lactating women.
  • Patients with diabetes mellitus, known HIV infection, hepatic dysfunction, or renal impairment (creatinine clearance < 50 mL/min).
  • Patients with known cardiac arrhythmia, bradycardia, electrolyte imbalance (particularly hypokalaemia), or a history of tendinopathy related to quinolone use.
  • Patients with signs of a severe or spreading systemic infection (e.g., extensive facial/neck swelling, trismus, dysphagia, or high-grade fever) requiring hospital admission, intravenous antibiotics, or extraoral surgical drainage under general anaesthesia.
  • Patients who received systemic antibiotic therapy within the preceding 7 days.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Active Comparator: group A
Clindamycin 300 mg oral capsule, four times daily.
Drug: Clindamycin
Clindamycin 300 mg oral capsule, four times daily.
Active Comparator: group B
Moxifloxacin 400 mg oral tablet, once daily.
Drug: Moxifloxacin (400 mg)
Moxifloxacin 400 mg oral tablet, once daily.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
clinical cure rate
Time Frame: 5-7 days
To compare the clinical cure rate (complete resolution of signs and symptoms) at the end of treatment (day 5-7) between the two groups.
5-7 days
pain intensity
Time Frame: 2-3 days
To compare the mean percentage reduction in pain intensity (VAS) at day 2-3 from baseline between patients treated with moxifloxacin and patients treated with clindamycin.
2-3 days

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Nishtar Medical University

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

  • 1. Cachovan G, Böger RH, Giersdorf I, Hallier O, Streichert T, Haddad M, et al. Comparative efficacy and safety of moxifloxacin and clindamycin in the treatment of odontogenic abscesses and inflammatory infiltrates: a phase II, double-blind, randomized trial. Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2011;55(3):1142-7. 2. Gómez-Arámbula H, Hidalgo-Hurtado A, Rodríguez-Flores R, González-Amaro AM, Garrocho-Rangel A, Pozos-Guillén A. Moxifloxacin versus Clindamycin/Ceftriaxone in the management of odontogenic maxillofacial infectious processes: a preliminary, intrahospital, controlled clinical trial. J Clin Exp Dent. 2015;7(5):e634-9. 3. Ardila CM, Bedoya-García JA. Antimicrobial resistance in patients with odontogenic infections: a systematic scoping review of prospective and experimental studies. J Clin Exp Dent. 2022;14(10):e870-6. 4. Grillo R, Borba AM, Brozoski M, Moreira SB, da Silva YS, da Graça Naclério-Homem M. Evolution of the treatment of severe odontogenic infections over 50 years: a comprehensive review. J Taibah Univ Med Sci. 2022;18(2):225-33. 5. Fischer M, Rödel J, Schultze-Mosgau S, Tolksdorf K. Clinical impact of antibiotic resistance in odontogenic infections: a 12-year analysis of 740 cases. Clin Oral Investig. 2025;29:1-12. 6. Antibiotic resistance in odontogenic infections: a systematic review of current evidence and implications for guideline-based therapy. Clin Oral Investig. 2025. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13095914/ 7. Antimicrobial therapy in the management of odontogenic infections: the penicillin-allergic patient. J Craniomaxillofac Surg. 2023.

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
January 30, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
February 15, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 3, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 3, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 9, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 3, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 7022/NID

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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