title: Comparative antimicrobial evaluation of Cephalosporins and Quinolones in common paediatric infections.
abstract: More than 90% of world's children are born each year in the developing world. Each year 12.9 million children die. Twenty eight percent of death are caused by pneumonia, 23% by diarrheal disease and 16% by vaccine-preventable diseases. Thirty-five thousand die each day, most from common and preventable problems. Health and illness are the result of a complex dynamic of environmental, social, political and economic factors. Bacterial resistance to antimicrobial agents is a continuing serious problem in the treatment of infections. Although this problem was recognized shortly after the commercial introduction of antimicrobial agents, it means that resistance is now emerging at a more rapid rate than ever before. To start with, during the present study an effort has been made to accomplish this task, 84 clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were collected from different hospitals in Karachi. An in vitro study of these isolates was carried out by Agar dilution method using eleven antimicrobial agents and their combination (Lorian, 1991). Among Cephalosporins, third generation Cephalosporin, Cefotaxime was highly effective against Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria. Cefotaxime was active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 1.19% isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 19% isolates of Escherichia coli and 10% isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant against Cefotaxime. In Quinolone group, Ofloxacin was highly active against Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Whereas 28% isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, 26% isolates of Escherichia coli and 11% isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were resistant to Ofloxacin. Twenty six percent isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and 58% isolates Escherichia coli were resistant against Ciprofloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Karachi.
authors.forename: Masroor
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ahmed
authors.forename: Baqir S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Naqvi
authors.forename: Muhammad Harris
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Shoaib
authors.forename: Dilnawaz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Shaikh
authors.forename: Khursheed
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hashmi