W. Sheikh et al., ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF MEROPENEM AND SELECTED COMPARATIVE AGENTS AGAINST ANAEROBIC-BACTERIA AT 7 NORTH-AMERICAN CENTERS, Clinical infectious diseases, 16, 1993, pp. 190000361-190000366
The antibacterial activity of meropeneni and comparative agents agains
t approximately 1,000 anaerobes was determined using the disk dilution
methods recommended by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory
Standards (NCCLS). The organisms represented 27 species of six genera
and included the most common pathogens. Meropenem and imipenem were t
he most active drugs and were comparable in overall activity, generall
y exhibiting an MIC90 of less-than-or-equal-to 1 mug/mL. In contrast,
the MICs of cefoxitin, clindamycin, and metronidazole were 32, 16, and
2 mug/mL, respectively. Meropenem was two- to fourfold more active th
an imipenem against selected Bacteroides species, Clostridium species,
and Fusobacterium species. At a concentration of 1 mug/mL, meropenem
was more active than imipenem against cefoxitin-resistant Bacteroides
fragilis or Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. At a concentration of less-t
han-or-equal-to 0.5 mug/mL, meropenem was more active than imipenem ag
ainst clindamycin-resistant Bacteroides distasonis. At a concentration
of 2 mug/mL, meropenem was more active than imipenem against cefoxiti
n-resistant or clindamycin-resistant Clostridium difficile. Thus, mero
penem's high potency and broad-spectrum activity against common, rare,
and drug-resistant anaerobes confirms its utility in the treatment of
mixed anaerobic and aerobic infections.