Comparison of agar dilution, broth dilution, disk diffusion, and the E-test for susceptibility testing of penicillin-susceptible and penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae.
An evaluation to determine the optimal methods for the in vitro susceptibility testing of 41 clinical isolates and the ATCC 49619 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae to penicillin was undertaken. No very major or major interpretive errors were observed with the following test methods and media: agar dilution using either Mueller-Hinton medium with lysed horse blood or Haemophilus test medium; broth dilution using cation-adjusted Mueller-Hinton medium with lysed horse blood, Haemophilus test medium, or Todd-Hewitt medium; and the epsilo-meter test (E-test) using agar containing Mueller-Hinton medium and 5% sheep blood. The disk diffusion method using agar containing Mueller-Hinton medium and 5% sheep blood agar was an effective screening method, requiring confirmation by a dilution susceptibility test method.
Thorvilson
J
J
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Kohner
P
P
Henry
N
N
Cockerill
F
F
D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D003470:Culture Media; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D010403:Penicillin Resistance; D010406:Penicillins / Q000494:pharmacology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013045:Species Specificity; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000145:classification / Q000187:drug effects*
D003470:Culture Media; D010406:Penicillins