title: In vitro activities of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefpirome, and penicillin against Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates.
abstract: The in vitro activities of four extended-spectrum cephalosporins and benzyl penicillin were evaluated against 698 clinical isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae, including 130 (19%) penicillin-intermediate and 84 (12%) penicillin-resistant strains. Cefotaxime and ceftriaxone were essentially identical in their antipneumococcal activities: both were active against penicillin-susceptible strains and most penicillin-intermediate strains. Cefpirome was twice as potent as cefotaxime and ceftriaxone against penicillin-resistant strains. Ceftazidime was 8- to 16-fold less active than cefotaxime and ceftriaxone against S. pneumoniae in vitro, and thus, its spectrum included only penicillin-susceptible strains.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Microbiology Institute, Tualatin, Oregon 97062, USA.
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Barry
authors.forename: S D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Novick
mesh_terms: D002439:Cefotaxime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002442:Ceftazidime / Q000494:pharmacology; D002443:Ceftriaxone / Q000494:pharmacology; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects*; D000097572:Cefpirome
chemical_list: D002439:Cefotaxime; D002442:Ceftazidime; D002443:Ceftriaxone; D002511:Cephalosporins; D010406:Penicillins; D000097572:Cefpirome