[Activity of cefpodoxime against pathogens causing respiratory, urinary or soft tissue infections]

Cefpodoxime is a new antimicrobial in the Chilean market, recommended for treatment of respiratory and urinary tract infections.

To study the susceptibility of common pathogens isolated from Chilean patients to cefpodoxime and other antimicrobials.

The in vitro activity of cefpodoxime, expressed as Minimal Inhibitory Concentration, was studied in 331 S pneumoniae, H influenzae, M catarrhalis, E coli, S aureus and S pyogenes strains, isolated between 2000 and 2004 from respiratory, urinary and soft tissue infections, respectively.

Eleven percent of S pneumoniae isolates were resistant to penicillin, 11% were resistant to cefuroxime and 10% to cefpodoxime. All H influenzae isolates were susceptible to cefpodoxime. No H influenzae isolates were resistant to second or third generation cephalosporines. Four percent of H influenzae isolates were resistant to ampicillin by ss-lactamase production. In contrast 81% of M catarrhalis strains were resistant to ampicillin. Six percent of E coli isolates were resistant to cefpodoxime, 9% to cefuroxime, 11% to cefadroxile and 50% to ampicillin or trimethoprim/sulphamethoxazole. Cefpodoxime was the most active antimicrobial against S pyogenes.

Cefpodoxime, recently introduced in Chile, is a good alternative for the treatment of common respiratory and urinary tract infections.