Antibacterial activity of oral antibiotics against community-acquired respiratory pathogens from three European countries.

Abstract

Antimicrobial resistance is universally recognized as a major problem. A European resistance survey was established to monitor the activity of widely used oral antibiotics against common respiratory tract pathogens. Studies were conducted in Italy, Spain and Austria to monitor resistance patterns among respiratory Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amoxicillin, co-amoxiclav, penicillin, cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefalexin, cefprozil, cefuroxime, cefixime, ceftibuten, cefpodoxime, clarithromycin and azithromycin (the antibiotics tested varying slightly from country to country). Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using the NCCLS-recommended broth microdilution method. Among the antibiotics tested, cefpodoxime, an oral cephalosporin, was remarkably active against the major respiratory pathogens in all three countries. Cefpodoxime was more potent than cefaclor, cefixime and ceftibuten against pneumococci, especially against strains with decreased sensitivity to penicillin, and more active than cefaclor and cefuroxime against Gram-negative respiratory pathogens. Pneumococci and staphylococci displayed a very high level of in vitro macrolide resistance. These data indicate that cefpodoxime represents an appropriate choice in the treatment of community-acquired respiratory tract infection in the three countries surveyed.

• Authors: Gian Carlo Schito, Apostolos Georgopoulos, José Prieto
• Journal: The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy (J Antimicrob Chemother) Vol. 50 Suppl Pg. 7-11 (Jul 2002) ISSN: 0305-7453 [Print] England
• PMID: 12077154 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Anti-Bacterial Agents
• cefpodoxime
• Ceftizoxime

Topics

• Administration, Oral
• Anti-Bacterial Agents (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Austria
• Ceftizoxime (analogs & derivatives, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Community-Acquired Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Gram-Negative Bacteria (drug effects, isolation & purification)
• Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Gram-Positive Cocci (drug effects, isolation & purification)
• Humans
• Italy
• Microbial Sensitivity Tests
• Respiratory Tract Infections (drug therapy, microbiology)
• Spain