cefdinir and sparfloxacin

Regarding Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS) has not defined the breakpoint minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for expanded spectrum cephems such as cefpodoxime and ceftizoxime, because of the absence of resistant strains to these antibiotics. To date, in gonococcal urethritis, after treatment with third generation cephems and aztreonam, clinical failures caused by resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains have not been reported. However, we experienced two clinical failures in patients with gonococcal urethritis treated with cefdinir and aztreonam. N. gonorrhoeae isolates from these two patients showed high-level MICs to these agents. The MIC of cefdinir was 1 microg/ml for both strains and that of aztreonam was 8 microg/ml for both strains, while the MICs of other beta-lactams were also higher than the NCCLS value, except for ceftriaxone, for which the MIC was 0.125 microg/ml for both strains. Moreover, the MICs of fluoroquinolones, tetracyclines, and erythromycin against these two isolates were higher than the NCCLS susceptibility value. These isolates were susceptible to spectinomycin. In N. gonorrhoeae, the emergence of these beta-lactam-resistant isolates is of serious concern. However, a more serious problem is that these isolates were already resistant to non-beta-lactam antimicrobials. In Japan, ceftriaxone has not been permitted for clinical use against gonococcal infections. Therefore, in Japan, patients with gonococcal urethritis caused by these resistant N. gonorrhoeae strains should be treated with cefodizime or spectinomycin.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Infective Agents; Aztreonam; Cefdinir; Ceftriaxone; Cephalosporins; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Drug Resistance, Multiple; Drug Therapy, Combination; Fluoroquinolones; Gonorrhea; Humans; Japan; Male; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Minocycline; Naphthyridines; Neisseria gonorrhoeae; Roxithromycin; Spectinomycin; Urethritis

The frequency and the antibacterial sensitivity of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains isolated from 6 key hospitals (in 5 areas) and 1 otorhinolaryngology clinic in Gifu Prefecture from February to March, 1999, were investigated with several antibiotics. A total of 128 strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae were isolated throughout the study: 47 strains (36.7%) of penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP), 51 strains (39.8%) of penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP), and 30 strains (23.4%) of penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP); the resistant bacteria being relatively prominent. In these hospitals, PSSP was isolated by 38.8% in all the key hospitals and by 30% in the otolaryngology clinic with almost no discernible difference. PISP was isolated by 63.3%, higher in the otolaryngology clinic and PRSP by 28.6%, higher in the key hospitals conversely. The MIC90s in PISP and PRSP were determined with the antibiotics. In result, only cefditoren (CDTR) showed favorable antibacterial activities with the MIC90 of 0.78 microgram/ml among penicillins or oral cephems. The MIC90s of carbapenems such as imipenem (IPM), meropenem (MEPM), and panipenem (PAPM) were less than 0.39 microgram/ml; particularly, PAPM showed the highest antibacterial activities. Among new quinolones such as tosufloxacin (TFLX), levofloxacin (LVFX), sparfloxacin (SPFX), and ciprofloxacin (CPFX), TFLX showed the highest antibacterial activities with the MIC90 of 0.39 microgram/ml. Other agents showed very low antibacterial activities as the MIC90s were 25 micrograms/ml in minocycline (MINO) and more than 100 micrograms/ml in clarithromycin (CAM) and clindamycin (CLDM).

Topics: Amoxicillin; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Cefaclor; Cefdinir; Cefixime; Cefmenoxime; Cefpodoxime; Ceftizoxime; Cephalosporins; Ciprofloxacin; Clarithromycin; Clindamycin; Drug Resistance, Microbial; Fluoroquinolones; Humans; Imipenem; Japan; Levofloxacin; Meropenem; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Minocycline; Naphthyridines; Ofloxacin; Penicillin G; Penicillins; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Thienamycins