[Determination of the MIC of cefotetan against freshly isolated gram-negative bacilli]

Antimicrobial activities (MICs) of cefotetan (CTT) against 575 strains of 16 spp. of Gram-negative bacilli isolated in 1988 were determined to investigate distribution of MICs in comparison with those of cefmetazole (CMZ), cefoxitin (CFX), latamoxef (LMOX) and cefazolin (CEZ). The change in frequencies of incidence of cephem-resistant strains in the latter half of the 1980 was also investigated. Distribution of MIC of CTT varied with test strains. No or very few MICs were at or higher than 12.5 micrograms/ml at an inoculation of 10(6) cfu/ml, thus rates of CTT-resistant strains were low among Escherichia coli, Citrobacter diversus, Klebsiella spp., Proteus spp., Providencia spp., and Haemophilus influenzae. High rates of resistance to CTT were observed, however, among Citrobacter freundii, Enterobacter spp., Serratia marcescens, Morganella morganii, and Bacteroides fragilis. 2. Most CTT-resistant strains of C. freundii, Enterobacter spp. and S. marcescens were also resistant to LMOX. These resistant strains were considered to be multi-resistant strains to antibiotics including oxime type cephalosporins and monobactams. 3. Cephem-resistant E. coli was confirmed to be resistant to 22% of CEZ, 14% of CFX, 10% of CMZ and 2% of CTT tested. The incidence of cephem-resistant E. coli unconditionally showed an increasing tendency. 4. The incidence of resistant strains against cephamycins including CTT is discussed with regard to the mechanism of resistance against all beta-lactam antibiotics, and the problem of the appearance of resistant strains is close and inseparable from social background.