IN-VITRO STUDY OF THE ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIV ITY OF CEFEPIME (AXEPIM(R))ON GRAM-NEGATIVE RODS - COMPARISON WITH CEPHALOSPORINS AND OTHER BETA-LACTAMS

The susceptibility to cefepime and to other beta-lactams of 1017 induc ible cephalosporinase-producing enterobacteria, 897 Pseudomonas aerugi nosa strains, and 295 Acinetobacter baumanii strains was studied over a two-year period (July 1, 1993 to June 30, 1995). The isolates were f rom patients in visceral surgery, intensive care, and clinical hematol ogy wards. Cefepime was compared to other third-generation cephalospor ins and to imipenem, aztreonam, and the piperacillin-tazobactam combin ation. Cefepime was more active than the other cephalosporins against Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens and Citrobacter freundii. Ac tivity of cefepime on the study isolates was also greater than that of aztreonam and of the piperacillin-tazobactam combination. Cefepime ex hibited outstanding activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains ex cept those with the O-12 serotype.