title: Comparative susceptibilities of penicillin-resistant pneumococci to co-trimoxazole, vancomycin, rifampicin and fourteen beta-lactam antibiotics.
abstract: Eighty-four isolates of penicillin-resistant pneumococci were tested for susceptibility to vancomycin, rifampicin, cotrimoxazole, and 14 beta-lactam antibiotics by agar and microbroth dilution methods. Twenty-three were from adult patients with pneumococcal disease, 57 from nasopharingeal carriers (preschool children) and four were resistant South African isolates. For all isolates tested, imipenem (N-formimidoyl thienamycin), rifampicin, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime had the greatest activity ( MIC90 : 0 X 12, 0 X 25, 0 X 5 mg/l, respectively). Cefoxitin and latamoxef were the least active of the drugs studied. The remaining beta-lactams tested had less activity than that of penicillin. All strains were inhibited by 1 mg/l of vancomycin and all but one were resistant to cotrimoxazole. The excellent in-vitro activities of the newer beta-lactam agents (ceftriaxone, cefotaxime and, particularly, imipenem ) and vancomycin against penicillin-resistant pneumococci offer a considerable promise for their use in the treatment of pneumococcal meningitis caused by these strains.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002353:Carrier State / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000494:pharmacology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D012293:Rifampin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014295:Trimethoprim / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000892:Anti-Infective Agents, Urinary; D004338:Drug Combinations; D047090:beta-Lactams; D014640:Vancomycin; D015662:Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination; D014295:Trimethoprim; D013420:Sulfamethoxazole; D012293:Rifampin