Susceptibility of various microorganisms to chlorhexidine

The susceptibility to chlorhexidine of bacteria in aerobic, facultatively anaerobic and anaerobic isolates from clinical specimens of wounds, urine, saliva, and dental plaque was studied. Agar diffusion tests using 50 microng chlorhexidine discs and agar dilution tests were performed and the MIC values correlated with inhibition zone diameters. Anaerobic plaque strains were isolated and tested by the agar dilution method in an anaerobic glove box. Regression lines obtained for five agar media demonstrated a good correlation between zone diameters and MIC values. There was a broad range of susceptibility to chlorhexidine among both Gram-positive and Gram-negative strains. Low MIC values were noted for staphylococci, S. mutans, S. salivarius and E. coli, while strains of Proteus, Pseudomonas and Klebsiella were less susceptible. S. sanguis showed intermediate susceptibility with both low and high MIC values. Among the anaerobic isolates tested, the strains most susceptible to chlorhexidine were Propionibacterium and Selenomonas, While the least susceptible strains were Gram-negative cocci resembling Veillonella.