title: Comparison of sensititre broth microdilution and agar dilution susceptibility testing techniques for meropenem to determine accuracy, reproducibility, and predictive values.
abstract: The stability, accuracy, reproducibility, and predictive value of Sensititre MIC panels containing meropenem (Merrem) were evaluated by using National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS)-recommended American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) strains and 110 selected strains of rapidly growing and fastidious aerobes and anaerobes with various degrees of susceptibility to meropenem. The NCCLS-recommended agar dilution method was used as a standard reference method. Meropenem-containing Sensititre MIC panels were monitored for their stabilities at room temperature and reproducibilities over 24 months by using six ATCC strains. Ninety-nine percent of the MICs of both meropenem and imipenem obtained for NCCLS-recommended ATCC strains were within the established ranges after 2 years. The overall agreement (+/- 1 twofold dilution) between the Sensititre and the agar dilution meropenem MICs was greater than 93%. The predictive value of meropenem MICs for indicating suspeptibility or resistance obtained by the Sensititre method was greater than 90%. No major or very major interpretive errors were observed, and only 5% of meropenem MICs were associated with minor interpretive errors. Problematic organisms were not observed. The Sensititre MIC panels containing meropenem offer a convenient and valid alternative to the NCCLS reference method for the susceptibility testing of potential pathogens likely to be recovered from mixed infections.
authors: Zeneca Pharmaceuticals Group, Wilmington, Delaware 19897.
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Dowzicky
authors: H L
authors: HL
authors: Nadler
authors: W
authors: W
authors: Sheikh
mesh_terms: D000362:Agar; D001420:Bacteria, Aerobic / Q000187:drug effects*; D001421:Bacteria, Anaerobic / Q000187:drug effects*; D003470:Culture Media; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology; D007201:Indicator Dilution Techniques; D000077731:Meropenem; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013845:Thienamycins / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D013845:Thienamycins; D015378:Imipenem; D000362:Agar; D000077731:Meropenem