In vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of cefmenoxime

The activity of cefmenoxime, an aminothiazolyl cephalosporin, was studied against 650 bacteria. It was slightly less active than cefotaxime and more active than moxalactam against staphylococci. It had activity similar to that of cefotaxime and ceftizoxime against group A and B streptococci and Streptococcus pneumoniae. It did not inhibit Streptococcus faecalis or Listeria spp. Cefmenoxime had activity similar to that of cefotaxime, ceftizoxime, ceftazidime, and moxalactam against Escherichia coli, Citrobacter diversus, Klebsiella, Proteus mirabilis, Salmonella, and Shigella. It inhibited beta-lactamase-positive and -negative isolates at less than or equal to 0.4 microgram/ml. Cefmenoxime was somewhat less active than moxalactam or ceftizoxime against Enterobacter cloacae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Enterobacter agglomerans, but was more active than cefotaxime, ceftizoxime, or ceftazidime against Morganella (minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of isolates, 0.1 microgram/ml.), Proteus vulgaris and Providencia spp. It was as active as ceftizoxime was against Serratia. Pseudomonas spp. and Bacteroides spp. were relatively resistant (minimum inhibitory concentration for 90% of isolates, greater than 100 micrograms/ml). The compound was stable to the common plasmid beta-lactamases, such as that of TEM. It was stable to most chromosomally mediated beta-lactamases, which act primarily as cephalosporinases, but was hydrolyzed by Bacteroides and Acinetobacter.