Effect of clavulanic acid on the in vitro synergism between carbenicillin and gentamicin against Serratia marcescens.
Clavulanic acid, a potent beta-lactamase inhibitor, reduced the minimum inhibitory concentrations of carbenicillin for 13 of 15 clinical isolates of Serratia marcescens by at least eightfold. The combination of clavulanic acid and carbenicillin also exhibited synergistic activity with gentamicin against 11 of 15 isolates tested, including 9 of 10 strains which were highly resistant to carbenicillin (minimum inhibitory concentration >/= 8,000 mug/ml) and had previously been found resistant to the synergistic activity between carbenicillin and gentamicin.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002228:Carbenicillin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005839:Gentamicins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007769:Lactams / Q000494:pharmacology; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D012706:Serratia marcescens / Q000187:drug effects*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D005839:Gentamicins; D007769:Lactams; D002228:Carbenicillin