Antibiotic sensitivity of Haemophilus influenzae strains including three recent chloramphenicol-resistant isolates

The antibiotic sensitivity of 100 recent isolates of Haemophilus influenzae was determined. Three strains were resistant to chloramphenicol with minimal inhibitory concentrations of 16 microgram/ml. Of these three resistant strains, one produced betalactamase and one was resistant to sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim. The remaining strains were inhibited by 0.25-2.0 microgram/ml of chloramphenicol. Ampicillin and benzylpenicillin were found to inhibit all but the betalactamase-producing strains at low concentrations. Regarding sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim 96% had minimal inhibitory concentrations of 2.5-0.12 microgram/ml or less, while two strains were resistant. The invitro efficacy of erythromycin against H. influenzae was low. The majority of the strains was inhibited by low concentrations of doxycycline and cefuroxime while cefoxitin exhibited minimal inhibitory concentrations values usually exceeding 1 microgram/ml. The minimal inhibitory concentrations registered are compared to the concentrations of the different antibiotics attainable in certain body fluids.