Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is an ever-increasing problem. The in-vitro activity of sparfloxacin compared with that of currently available antimicrobial agents against pathogens implicated in respiratory tract infections is reviewed. Sparfloxacin is a fluoroquinolone active against both penicillin-susceptible and -resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. It is also active against many other respiratory tract pathogens and may be a suitable alternative for empirical therapy of community-acquired respiratory tract infections.