IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF MEROPENEM AGAINST ORGANISMS CAUSING SERIOUS INFECTIONS IN A SINGAPORE HOSPITAL

Meropenem (MEM) is a carbapenem antibiotic effective against infection s caused by a variety of organisms. This study was conducted to evalua te MEM, which has not been previously used in the hospital, in paralle l with some antimicrobial agents now in use, against organisms causing serious infections in the hospital. A total of 382 organisms isolated from blood cultures were included in the study. In the case of Bacter oides spp. and Burkholderia pseudomallei, organisms recovered from blo od as well as from other sites were also included. In addition to MEM, 12 antimicrobial agents were tested against Gram-negative bacilli and seven against staphylococci. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was carried out by the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique based on the M2-A4 standard. The present paper demonstrates that meropenem, imipene m and ciprofloxacin are the most active antimicrobial agents against c linically important organisms causing serious infections in the hospit al. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.