Antibacterial activity of cefoperazone and cefoperazone plus sulbactam in a neutropenic site model

Efficacy of cefoperazone versus cefoperazone plus sulbactam was studied in a rabbit neutropenic site infection model against a broad range of clinical isolates including six isolates each of staphylococci, enterococci, pneumococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Therapy of cefoperazone plus sulbactam demonstrated enhanced efficacy against the staphylococci, pseudomonads, and Enterobacteriaceae. The activity of cefoperazone against enterococci and pneumococci was not enhanced or inhibited by the addition of sulbactam. Increased concentrations of cefoperazone found at the infection sites when sulbactam was added to the therapeutic regimen indicates that sulbactam provided a protection to cefoperazone from beta-lactamases produced by staphylococci and Enterobacteriaceae. The combination improved the efficacy of cefoperazone in this animal model.