IN-VITRO ACTIVITY OF SPARFLOXACIN, CIPROFLOXACIN, OFLOXACIN, AND OTHER ANTIBIOTICS AGAINST BLOOD-STREAM ISOLATES OF GRAM-POSITIVE COCCI

The in vitro activity of sparfloxacin was compared with the activities of ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, and six other antimicrobial agents again st 323 bloodstream isolates of staphylococci (both oxacillin susceptib le and resistant) enterococci, and pneumococci. Sparfloxacin was more active than both ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin against all the isolates tested. Its activity (MIC for 90% of strains tested less-than-or-equal -to 0.10 mug/ml) against oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci was super ior to that of ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin by at least fourfold. Sparf loxacin was also more potent against pneumococci. However, fluoroquino lone resistance was noted among oxacillin-resistant strains of Staphyl ococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci.