title: Patterns of resistance to anaerobic organisms in Australia.
abstract: This study investigated patterns of resistance in anaerobic organisms isolated at Westmead Hospital in Sydney, Australia, during the years 1987 to 1988. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) to ampicillin, sulbactam/ampicillin, metronidazole, clindamycin, and cefoxitin were determined by agar dilution for 200 anaerobes from clinically significant infections. Antibiotics active against nearly all of these anaerobes included metronidazole and sulbactam/ampicillin, which demonstrated good activity against beta-lactamase producing Bacteroides spp. with the exception of Bacteroides distasonis. Resistance in non-beta-lactamase producing anaerobes was similar to that seen with ampicillin. As expected, ampicillin resistance was common in the Bacteroides fragilis group where beta-lactamase production was frequent. In addition, beta-lactamase was detected in 33% of other Bacteroides spp. Ampicillin resistance was also seen in 5 to 15% of additional anaerobes that did not produce beta-lactamase. Clindamycin resistance occurred in 4 to 18% of the B. fragilis group. Clindamycin resistance was also seen in 7 to 8% of Clostridium spp. and anaerobic Gram-positive cocci. Resistance to cefoxitin was variable in the B. fragilis group with the highest levels of resistance occurring in the indole-negative subgroup. Resistance in other anaerobes was not commonly seen.
authors.affiliation: Microbiology Department, Liverpool Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Munro
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000668:Ampicillin Resistance; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: C035444:sultamicillin; D000667:Ampicillin; D013407:Sulbactam