title: Antibacterial activity of cefditoren against major community-acquired respiratory pathogens recently isolated in Italy.
abstract: In this study we evaluated the in vitro activities of cefditoren--a broad-spectrum oral cephalosporin--and other comparator agents against 2,396 fresh isolates from community-acquired respiratory tract infections, collected from 6 clinical Italian microbiology laboratories. On penicillin-susceptible pneumococci and Streptococcus pyogenes, cefditoren demonstrated to be the most active antibiotic (MIC(90)values of 0.03 and 0.06 mg/L respectively), showing only a slight decrease in potency on penicillin-intermediate and resistant pneumococci (MIC(90)value 0.5 mg/L, 1.0 mg/L respectively). All the other comparators displayed MIC(90 )values of 4 - 8 mg/L for penicillins and of 4 to >64 mg/L for the oral cephalosporins. Cefditoren and levofloxacin were the most active against MSSA (MIC(90)0.5 mg/mL). Cefditoren displayed a uniformly potent inhibitory activity (MIC(90)of 0.03 mg/L) against all strains of Haemophilus influenzae, regardless of their ampicillin resistance (mediated or not by beta-lactamase production), while against Moraxella catarrhalis MIC(90)values were higher against beta-lactamase-positive (0.25 mg/L). Cefditoren was active also against Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli : in this case its activity was comparable with that of levofloxacin. In conclusion, cefditoren, due to its potent activity, is a new effective therapeutic option for the treatment of respiratory tract infections.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiological and Gynecological Sciences, University of Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stefani
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Mezzatesta
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fadda
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mattina
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palù
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Rossano
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Tufano
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Schito
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nicoletti
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D007711:Klebsiella pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000187:drug effects; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D013297:Streptococcus pyogenes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins; C073460:cefditoren