[In vitro susceptibility of bacteroidaceae to cefoxitin and cephalothin (author's transl)]

The activity of the new cephamycin C derivatives cefoxitin against 102 clinical isolates of Bacteroidaceae (95 Bacteroides strains and 7 Fusobacterium-Sphaerophorus cultures) was determined by tube dilution and standardized agar diffusion tests and compared to that of cephalothin. Cefoxitin was more active than cephalothin against 56 Bacteroides fragilis strains, 19 Bacteroides thetaiota-omicron strains and two Bacteroides splanchnicus strains. The difference seemed less pronounced with five Bacteroides vulgatus and four Bacteroides variabilis cultures. Three Bacteroides melaninogenicus and six Bacteroides oralis strains displayed similar sensitivity to both cephalosporins. At concentrations of 32 microng/ml or less, cefoxitin inhibited 91% and cephalothin 33% of the Bacteroides strains. Two strains of Sphaerophorus varius were likewise much more sensitive to cefoxitin than to cephalothin (MIC values 8 micron8/ml of cefoxitin and 256 microng/ml of cephalothin). Three other Sphaerophorus strains (the species necrophorus and freundii/mortiferum) and two of Fusobacterium fusiforme (Fusobacterium nucleatum) strains were very similar in their susceptibility to both cephalosporins. Statistical analysis of the relationship between MIC and zone size diameter showed relatively high correlation coefficients for cefoxitin and cephalothin (r=-0.741 and r=-0.703 respectively).