title: Cefotetan: in-vitro antibacterial activity and susceptibility to beta-lactamases.
abstract: The in-vitro antibacterial activity of cefotetan was assessed against recent clinical isolates of common bacteria and also against reference strains that produced known beta-lactamases. The compound was active against most staphylococci (MICs 4 to 8 mg/l) though methicillin-resistant strains were less sensitive. It was also generally active against streptococci (MICs mostly in the range 1 to 16 mg/l). However, enterococci and penicillin-resistant pneumococci were resistant. Cefotetan was highly active against enterobacteria, with 75% of isolates inhibited by 0.5 mg/l and 90% inhibited by 4 mg/l. It was also highly active against Haemophilus influenzae (MICs 0.5 to 4 mg/l) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (MICs 0.06 to 2 mg/l) but had relatively poor activity against Acinetobacter spp. (MICs mostly 4 to 128 mg/l). Cefotetan had little useful activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MICs 16 to 512 mg/l) but was more active against most other pseudomonads. Cefotetan had moderate activity against the Bacteroides fragilis group (MICs mostly less than or equal to 32 mg/l), though Bact. fragilis sensu stricto and Bact. vulgatus were more sensitive (MICs usually less than or equal to 4 mg/l). It was more active against most other anaerobes, though its activity was always exceeded by that of ampicillin. Cefotetan possessed a high degree of resistance to both plasmid-mediated and chromosomally-determined beta-lactamases.
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D015313:Cefotetan; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002513:Cephamycins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001618:beta-Lactamases / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; D002513:Cephamycins; D015313:Cefotetan; D001618:beta-Lactamases