IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF 6 BETA-LACTAM AGENTS AGAINST 295 STRAINS OF ENTEROBACTERIACEAE AND PSEUDOMONAS-AERUGINOSA ISOLATED FROM NEUTROPENIC PATIENTS

The in vitro activity of two new beta-lactam agents, cefpirome (CPO) a nd cefepime (FEP), was investigated against 295 Gram-negative bacilli (250 enterobacteriaceae and 45 P. aeruginosa) isolated from neutropeni c patients. They were compared with ceftazidime (CAZ), piperacillin-ta zobactam (TZP), imipenem (IPM) and cefotaxime (CTX), All enterobacteri acae were susceptible to IPM, 16 strains were intermediately susceptib le or resistant:to CAZ (1 strain off. coli, 4 of Morganella morganii a nd 11 of Enterobacter. The 250 strains of enterobacteriacea were susce ptible to FEP (MIG < 1 mg/l) and only one sti ain among them was inter mediately susceptible to CPO. Among 45 strains of P. aeruginosa, 21 st rains were susceptible to CPO, 30 to FEP, 31 to TZP, 32 to CAZ and 34 to IPM. All the strains were inhibited by less than 32 mg/l of FEP and IPM.