title: Detection of bacterial strains producing sulbactam- or tazobactam-sensitive beta-lactamases by the use of disks containing the inhibitors alone instead of combining them with antibiotics.
abstract: The author demonstrated that disks containing beta-lactamase inhibitors sulbactam or tazobactam combined with ampicillin (SAM) and piperacillin (TZP) are not suitable for performing the double-disk synergy test (DDST) with the aim of determining the sensitivity of beta-lactamases to these inhibitors. The presence of antibiotics (especially of piperacillin) is so disturbing that the results of testing are not specific. In contrast, the use of disks containing sulbactam or tazobactam alone yields very specific results. The author suggested to the firms producing sensi-disks that they make these commercially available to laboratory workers.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Microbiology and Immunology, Medical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Banic
mesh_terms: D000667:Ampicillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D020613:Morganella morganii / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology / Q000302:isolation & purification; D010397:Penicillanic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013407:Sulbactam / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000078142:Tazobactam; D018440:beta-Lactam Resistance; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D000667:Ampicillin; D010397:Penicillanic Acid; D013407:Sulbactam; D000078142:Tazobactam; D010878:Piperacillin