Antibacterial activity of carbapenems against clinically isolated respiratory bacterial pathogens in Japan between 2005 and 2006.
The current status of the susceptibility of the main respiratory bacterial pathogens was evaluated by analysing the antibacterial activity of 21 drugs, including four carbapenems, against five species of the pathogens isolated between January 2005 and January 2006. A total of 157 strains were studied. Carbapenems inhibited the growth of all of the tested strains of Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus strains at concentrations that were below the breakpoints set by the Japanese Society of Chemotherapy (2 and 1mug/mL for pneumonia and chronic respiratory tract infection, respectively). However, the majority of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains were resistant to carbapenems. Meropenem, but not the other carbapenems, inhibited the growth of all of the tested strains of Haemophilus influenzae isolates, including beta-lactamase-non-producing ampicillin-resistant strains, at concentrations of <or=1 microg/mL. The MIC(50) and MIC(90) of meropenem, 0.25 and 4 microg/mL, against Pseudomonas aeruginosa were the lowest of the carbapenems. By comparing these results with our previous data, it was found that there was no increase in resistance to carbapenems in any of the species tested. Thus, it can be stated that carbapenems have retained their position as key drugs for severe respiratory tract infections.
Gomi
Kazunori
K
Department of Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1, Seiryo-cho, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
Watanabe
Akira
A
Aoki
Shizuka
S
Kikuchi
Toshiaki
T
Fuse
Katsuhiro
K
Nukiwa
Toshihiro
T
Kurokawa
Iku
I
Fujimura
Shigeru
S
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015780:Carbapenems / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D016106:Methicillin Resistance / Q000235:genetics; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D011550:Pseudomonas aeruginosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000382:microbiology*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D015780:Carbapenems