title: Comparative in vitro activity of ertapenem against bacterial pathogens isolated from patients with lower respiratory tract infections.
abstract: This study compared the in vitro activity of ertapenem, ceftriaxone, cefepime, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin-clavulanate against 381 aerobic and facultative bacterial pathogens isolated from 320 patients with acute bacterial exacerbation of chronic bronchitis or community-acquired pneumonia. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae accounted for 54.6% of the isolates. The ertapenem MIC was < or =2 mg/L for 98.4% of isolates and > or =8 mg/L for 1.0% (all methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). Ertapenem had the most potent activity against Enterobacteriaceae, Moraxella catarrhalis, and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus, and its activity against H. influenzae and H. parainfluenzae, all strains of which were susceptible, was not altered by beta-lactamase production. Only one S. pneumoniae strain, a penicillin-resistant isolate, was resistant to ertapenem. Ertapenem was highly active in vitro against pyogenic bacteria recovered from patients with community-acquired lower respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Merck Research Laboratories, Rahway, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Hicks
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pelak
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Woods
authors.forename: K F
authors.initials: KF
authors.lastname: Bartizal
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Motyl
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D029481:Bronchitis, Chronic / Q000382:microbiology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D000077727:Ertapenem; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D016905:Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects*; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D007769:Lactams; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000382:microbiology*; D047090:beta-Lactams
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007769:Lactams; D047090:beta-Lactams; D000077727:Ertapenem