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Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Results of three consecutive clinical trials of therapy of anaerobic infections in cancerpatients were compared, using doxycycline versus tinidazole, clindamycin versus cefoxitin and tinidazole versus tinidazole plus amikacin.Mixed aerobic and anaerobic infections had a similar response rate when treatment consisted of a specific anti-anaerobic drug as compared to a broader antimicrobial therapy directed against aerobic and anaerobic pathogens.Even when the anaerobic pathogen was resistant to therapy, many patients were cured. Surgical drainage played an important role, but was difficult to assess precisely. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Working Party on Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology reported [Künzi M, et al. Safe Biotechnology (1) - General considerations. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 21:1-6] on the classification of human pathogens and other microorganisms. It is proposed to relate the various risk classes of these organisms to the categories of physical containment for recombinant DNA (rDNA) organisms according to the OECD report [OECD Report (1986) 'Recombinant DNA Safety Considerations', Paris]. In view of the differences in the numbering systems of the EFB for risk classes (1-4) and the OECD system of Good Industrial Large Scale Practice (GILSP) and containment categories 1-3, the former have been given alternative names. Relationships of the EFB-Classification of Microorganisms according to risk and OECD safety precautions have been defined (Table 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teicoplanin (0.2 g) or vancomycin (1 g) were infused over 3 and 50 min respectively to six male volunteers in a cross-over study. Each drug was administered twice at a 14 h interval. The pharmacokinetics of both drugs were accurately described using a two-compartment model. Vancomycin had a shorter half-life (5.8±1.8 h) compared to teicoplainin (33.2±5.1h; <0.001) One hour serum was tested for serum bactericidal activity against ten strains each of (median serum bactericidal activity 1:16 for teicoplanin; 1:32 for vancomycin), (1:32 for teicoplanin and for vancomycin) and Streptococcus faecalis (1: 2 for both drugs). Serum killing rate studies showed a slower rate of killing of with teicoplanin (<1 log cfu/ml over 6 h) than with vancomycin (4 log cfu/ml over 6 h). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Teicoplanin (0.2 g) or vancomycin (1 g) were infused over 3 and 50 min respectively to six male volunteers in a cross-over study. Each drug was administered twice at a 14 h interval. The pharmacokinetics of both drugs were accurately described using a two-compartment model. Vancomycin had a shorter half-life (5.8 +/- 1.8 h) compared to teicoplainin (33.2 +/- 5.1 h; P less than 0.001). One hour serum was tested for serum bactericidal activity against ten strains each of Staphylococcus aureus (median serum bactericidal activity 1:16 for teicoplanin; 1:32 for vancomycin), Staph. epidermidis (1:32 for teicoplanin and for vancomycin) and Streptococcus faecalis (1:2 for both drugs). Serum killing rate studies showed a slower rate of killing of Staph. aureus with teicoplanin (less than 1 log10 cfu/ml over 6 h) than with vancomycin (4 log10 cfu/ml over 6 h). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Timentin (ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid) plus amikacin was administered as an empirical regimen to 52 febrile granulocytopenic patients with cancer and appeared as effective as the other commonly recommended combinations of antimicrobial agents. A favourable response was observed in 61% of episodes with bacteraemia and in 83% of the episodes without bacteraemia. However, the efficacy in Grampositive bacteraemia was suboptimal and the emergence of superinfections caused by Gram-positive cocci may represent a clinical challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Ten volunteers received three doses of 500 mg ciprofloxacin, orally every 12 hours. After the last dose, mean serum levels were (mg/l +/- SD) 2.4 +/- 0.83 at 1 h; 0.91 +/- 0.30 at 4 h and 0.18 +/- 0.04 at 12 h. At 1 h the median serum bactericidal activity was satisfactory only against the Escherichia coli (1:256) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (1:128). In urine collected from 0 to 4 h and 8 to 12 h after the last dose, the mean ciprofloxacin level was respectively 482.5 +/- 324.7 and 80.9 +/- 48.2 mg/l +/- SD. Bactericidal activity in urine was high even against the least susceptible species tested: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus faecalis. A post antibiotic effect was demonstrated in 22 out of the 29 strains tested, ranging mainly from 1 to 3 h. Ciprofloxacin 500 mg orally twice a day is a bactericidal regimen against a wide range of urinary pathogens but has a limited systemic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Azlocillin (5 g), ticarcillin (5 g) and ticarcillin (5 g) plus clavulanic acid (200 mg) were administered intravenously on separate days to human volunteers. Serum levels 1 h after the infusion were (mean +/- S.E.): 263 +/- 40 mg/1 for azlocillin, 238 +/- 56 mg/l for ticarcillin and 5.5 +/- 1.9 mg/l for clavulanic acid. Serum withdrawn at 0.5 h was titrated against ten strains of Staphylococcus aureus, ten Klebsiella pneumoniae and nine Pseudomonas aeruginosa of which four were resistant to ticarcillin. Against Staph. aureus and K. pneumoniae, median serum bactericidal activity (SBA) and percentage of sera with SBA greater than or equal to 1:8 were greater with ticarcillin plus clavulanic acid (median SBA 1:32 and 85% of sera with SBA greater than or equal to 1:8) than with the other two regimens. There were no differences in activity against Ps. aeruginosa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serum bactericidal activity (SBA) greater than or equal to 1:8 correlates with the clinical effectiveness of antibiotics. Ten healthy young volunteers received iv on separate days cefoperazone 1, 2, or 3 g and ceftazidime 1, 2, or 3 g. The serum levels 1 and 6 h after the administration of cefoperazone 1, 2 and 3 g were respectively 52 and 7 mg/l, 122 and 13 mg/l, 190 and 22 mg/l. The serum levels of ceftazidime 1, 2 and 3 g, after 1 h and 6 h were 28 and 8, 56 and 9, 78 and 13 mg/l. The SBA was determined against seven strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa with MBC of 1.6-12.5 mg/l of cefoperazone and 0.8-6.2 mg/l of ceftazidime. Increased dosage of cefoperazone and ceftazidime led to a significant increase in the SBA's greater than or equal to 1:8 at 1 h (P less than 0.01). In sera obtained 1 h and 6 h after the injection of the antibiotics, 97% and 51% of the strains were inhibited by ceftazidime 2 g, while 1 g was inhibitory on 84% (1 h) and 8% (6 h) of the strains. Ceftazidime 1 g produced SBA's greater than or equal to 1:8 significantly more often than did cefoperazone 3 g (P less than 0.01) at 1 h. The rate of killing with all ceftazidime regimens was similar and slightly higher than that of any cefoperazone regimen. Ceftazidime seems more effective than cefoperazone against Ps. aeruginosa; however, increased MBC values were observed during killing curves studies with both drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To determine whether high doses of amikacin would prevent the development of resistance in clinical isolates, the serum bactericidal activity and killing rate of conventional and high doses of amikacin and piperacillin alone and in combination were measured in volunteer sera against a series of ten strains each of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Amikacin serum levels were 24.9±6.0 mg/l 1 h after infusion of the 7.5 mg/kg dose and 44.8±5.0 mg/l after the two-fold dose. Median serum bactericidal titers for low dose piperacillin + amikacin were 1∶8-1∶64 and for high-dose piperacillin + amikacin 1∶16-1∶128. Both were satisfactory, except against piperacillin-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (median bactericidal titers ⩽ 1∶2), and both combinations had equivalent killing rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cefoperazone, a new broad-spectrum cephalosporin, was administered by continuous infusion or intermittent injection to 20 and 25 patients respectively with gram-negative bacillary septicemia most of whom had severe underlying disease. No difference was observed in the clinical response of the two groups. The overall rate of favourable response was 76 %. Of the 40 non-neutropenic patients treated three died of infection despite sensitivity of the organism, three improved temporarily and three died as the result of superinfection. Three of the five neutropenic patients treated failed to respond to cefoperazone therapy, despite adequate serum bactericidal activity. Tolerance to cefoperazone was satisfactory. Emergence of cefoperazone-resistant strains leading to relapse or superinfection was not a major cause of failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In vitro synergism of trimethoprim plus amikacin and trimethoprim plus sisomicin against 66 gramnegative bacilli was studied by microtiter checkerboard dilution. Synergism was defined as an FIC or FBC index equal to or less than 0.5. Fifty-two percent of strains were inhibited and 65 % killed synergistically by the former combination, and 27% and 36% respectively by the latter combination (p<0.01). Serum bactericidal activity against 16 strains resistant to ampicillin and/or cephalothin was studied using serum from five volunteers one and six hours after intravenous administration of trimethoprim (160 mg), amikacin (250 mg) or the combination, and from six volunteers after administration of trimethoprim, tobramycin (1 mg/kg) or the combination. With trimethoprim and amikacin serum bactericidal titers ⩾ 1∶8 were found more frequently with the combination (77 of 80 samples) than with either drug alone (trimethoprim 19 of 80 samples, amikacin 60 of 80 samples, p<0.01). Trimethoprim plus amikacin may be useful in the treatment of infections with gram-negative rods resistant to cephalothin and ampicillin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bactericidal activity of rifampin plus other antibiotics was examined with in vitro checkerboard dilutions against 15 strains of staphylococci, with time-kill studies, and with determinations of serum bactericidal activities (SBAs) in volunteers. In vitro synergism was found consistently only in inhibitory assays with rifampin plus minocycline. Time-kill studies with rifampin plus methicillin revealed enhanced killing at concentrations close to the MBC but reduced combined activity at higher concentrations. SBAs with rifampin, oxacillin, and the two drugs in combination were studied in three treatment regimens (regimen A: 2 g of oxacillin and 300mg of rifampin; regimen B: I g of oxacillin and 450 mg of rifampin; and regimen C: 3 g of oxacillin and 450 mg of rifampin). The SBA against methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was significantly lower with the two drugs in combination than with oxacillin alone in regimen A but not in regimen B. In vitro synergy with rifampin plus other antibiotics was not frequent. At high concentrations, the bactericidal activity of oxacillin was reduced by rifampin, but killing activity may be enhanced at low concentrations of oxacillin. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Working Party on Safety in Biotechnology of the European Federation of Biotechnology has proposed a classification of microorganisms that cause diseases in plants. In this paper appropriate safety levels are proposed for these classes of microorganisms in order to ensure that research, development and industrial fermentation work with plant pathogens will limit the risk of outbreaks of diseases in crops that could result from work with such microorganisms when they are cultivated in laboratories, glasshouses and biotechnology installations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Infection is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)