[Activity of cefotetan against anaerobic bacteria]

We determined the susceptibility to antibiotics of 64 strains of obligate anaerobes. Tested bacterial strains were as follows: 28 Bacteroides fragilis, 22 Fusobacterium nucleatum, 10 Clostridium perfringens, and 4 Bacteroides bivius. Tested antibiotics were cefotetan, cefoxitin and piperacillin. Cefotaxime was tested against 20 Bacteroides fragilis strains. Bacteroides fragilis, which is the most resistant species, was susceptible to cefotetan, cefoxitin and piperacillin, with comparable MICs for these three drugs (0.5 to 16 micrograms/ml); cefotaxime was less effective (MICs = 0.5 to 128 micrograms/ml). Fusobacterium nucleatum and Clostridium perfringens were highly susceptible to cefotetan, cefoxitin and piperacillin.