[In vitro activity of faropenem against beta-lactamase producing clinical isolates]

Each 20 strains of beta-lactamase producing methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, and Bacteroides fragilis group were used as the test strains. Drug susceptibility of these strains to faropenem (FRPM), cefdinir, cefditoren, cefcapene, cefteram, cefaclor, and ampicillin was determined by an agar dilution method according to the NCCLS guideline M100-S9. beta-Lactamase activity of the test strains was determined by a spectrophotometric method. In the present study, FRPM was highly active against beta-lactamase-producing strains, and no close correlation was found between the MICs of FRPM for the test strains and their beta-lactamase activities. These results suggest that FRPM has potential in successful application for the treatment of infectious diseases with various types of bacterial pathogens including beta-lactamase producing strains.