title: Antimicrobial activity of ofloxacin and other agents against mycobacterial isolates from postoperative sternotomy wounds.
abstract: In 1987 and 1988, 16 patients in a cardiothoracic hospital developed median sternotomy wound infections from Mycobacterium fortuitum or Mycobacterium chelonei (M fortuitum, 14 patients; M chelonei, two patients). For M fortuitum isolates, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) (by agar dilution) of ofloxacin was 0.32 to 1.25 mg/L; of amikacin, 0.5 to 1 mg/L; of sulfadiazine, 16 to 256 mg/L; of imipenem, less than or equal to 2 to 4 mg/L; of cefoxitin, 4 to 16 mg/L; of ampicillin, 64 to greater than 256 mg/L; of cephapirin, 64 to 128 mg/L; of cefoperazone, greater than 256 mg/L; and of ceftazidime, greater than 256 mg/L. Addition of sulbactam to ampicillin and cefoperazone resulted in at least a four- to eight-fold reduction of their respective MICs. For M chelonei isolates, the MIC of ofloxacin was greater than 20 mg/L; of amikacin, 8 mg/L; of sulfadiazine, 64 mg/L; of imipenem, 8 mg/L; of cefoxitin, 16 mg/L; of ampicillin, 128 mg/L; of cephapirin, 128 mg/L; of cefoperazone, greater than 256 mg/L; and of ceftazidime, greater than 256 mg/L. Addition of sulbactam resulted in much smaller reductions of the MICs of ampicillin and cefoperazone. Synergism was noticed between ofloxacin and amikacin against M chelonei but not against M fortuitum. The results indicate that ofloxacin alone is as effective as the combination of ofloxacin and amikacin in treating M fortuitum, but not M chelonei, infection.
authors.affiliation: Tuberculosis and Chest Unit, Grantham Hospital, Aberdeen, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: W W
authors.initials: WW
authors.lastname: Yew
authors.forename: S Y
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Kwan
authors.forename: W K
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: K S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lui
authors.forename: M K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Aung
mesh_terms: D000583:Amikacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D009161:Mycobacterium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D015242:Ofloxacin / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000583:Amikacin; D015242:Ofloxacin; D001618:beta-Lactamases