[Antibiotic activities of cefpirome against fresh clinical isolates resistant to multiple drugs]

Using multiple drug-resistant clinical isolates isolated since September 1992, minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of cefpirome (CPR) were determined. Several control drugs were also used, and these MIC-determinations were made to determine the antibiotic activity of CPR. The obtained results are summarized as follows: 1. Antibiotic activities of CPR against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus faecalis, and benzylpenicillin-insensitive or resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae showed that expanded antibacterial spectrum of CPR and its enhanced antibiotic action against Gram-positive bacteria. We suggest that among the existing fourth-generation cephem antibiotics, CPR is "characteristically strong against Gram-positive bacteria". 2. Strong antibiotic activities of CPR were recognized against bacteria of family Enterobacteriaceae that were resistant to the third-generation cephems. The strong antibiotic activities appeared to be due to CPR's stability and decreased affinity for beta-lactamase. 3. Antibacterial spectrum of CPR was expanded against non-glucose fermented Gram-negative bacilli including Pseudomonas aeruginosa. It appears that this expansion of antibacterial spectrum is due to CPR's affinities for a wide range of penicillin-binding proteins as well as its improved permeability into tissues.