A new method for the determination of bactericidal antibiotic synergy

Current methods of measuring bactericidal antibiotic synergy are particularly susceptible to error because of their use of arbitrary endpoints and criteria; their results are not easily tested for statistical significance and the procedures require considerable time and effort. A single-stage method is described in which bacteria are exposed to antibiotics for a short period and then transferred twice to drug-free medium by means of a filter membrane. The results are available the next day in the form of survival counts which can be compared statistically. In an examination of 21 strains of faecal streptococcus exposed to penicillin and gentamicin the bactericidal synergy observed was smoothly variable, a finding with a bearing on the management of infections with this organism, in that the recognition of strains showing an intermediate degree of synergy is possible.