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In-vitro activity of 29 antimicrobial agents against penicillin-resistant and -intermediate isolates of Streptococcus

O Manzor1, J Pawlak, L Saravolatz

  • 1St John Hospital and Medical Center, Detroit, MI 48236, USA. omanzor@mindspring.com

Insights

Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae is rising globally. This study evaluated 29 antimicrobial agents against resistant strains, finding ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, clinafloxacin, and trovafloxacin showed promising in-vitro activity.

Area of Science:

  • Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Increasing global antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae necessitates updated treatment guidelines.
  • Vancomycin is currently the sole approved antibiotic effective against multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae.
  • In-vitro susceptibility testing is crucial for guiding optimal therapy against resistant S. pneumoniae isolates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the in-vitro activity of 29 antimicrobial agents against penicillin-intermediate S. pneumoniae (PISP) and penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP) isolates.
  • To identify effective antimicrobial agents for treating infections caused by multidrug-resistant S. pneumoniae.

Main Methods:

  • In-vitro susceptibility testing was performed on 22 PISP and 16 PRSP isolates.
  • Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton broth with lysed horse blood in microtitre trays.
  • A wide range of antimicrobial classes were evaluated, including cephalosporins, penicillins, macrolides, quinolones, and carbapenems.

Main Results:

  • Significant variations in susceptibility were observed across different antimicrobial classes for both PISP and PRSP isolates.
  • Ceftriaxone and cefotaxime demonstrated the best in-vitro activity among cephalosporins against both PISP and PRSP.
  • Clinafloxacin and trovafloxacin exhibited the highest in-vitro activity among the quinolones tested.
  • Rifampicin and teicoplanin showed excellent in-vitro activity.
  • Newer agents like quinupristin/dalfopristin, ramoplanin, teicoplanin, and linezolid displayed promising results.

Conclusions:

  • Ceftriaxone, cefotaxime, clinafloxacin, trovafloxacin, rifampicin, and teicoplanin are effective against resistant S. pneumoniae in vitro.
  • Emerging agents such as quinupristin/dalfopristin, ramoplanin, teicoplanin, and linezolid warrant further clinical investigation for treating resistant S. pneumoniae infections.

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