Antibacterial effects of meropenem and imipenem against Haemophilus influenzae

Phase contrast microscopy, killing curves and turbidimetric growth curves were used in a comparative study of the antibacterial effects of imipenem and meropenem on Haemophilus influenzae. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) and their ranges of meropenem and imipenem using five beta-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae were 0.03 (0.015-0.06) and 0.6 (0.5-1) micrograms/ml, respectively. Imipenem and meropenem induced spheroplast formation in cultures. Killing curves showed a bacteriostatic activity for meropenem and imipenem for MIC values, and a lag of 2 h in killing for MIC x 2 to MIC x 64. For these concentrations the killing rates of the two antibiotics were similar. Turbidimetric growth curves showed a higher early increase in optical density for meropenem. As far as the MIC value of meropenem was 10 times lower than the MIC value of imipenem, we may conclude that meropenem was more active than imipenem on beta-lactamase-producing strains of H. influenzae.