[Comparison of in vitro antibacterial activities of new cephems against clinical organisms (isolated between June 1983 and January 1984)]

We compared the in vitro antibacterial activities of ceftizoxime (CZX), cefotaxime (CTX), cefmenoxime (CMX), cefoperazone (CPZ), ceftazidime (CAZ), latamoxef (LMOX) and cefotetan (CTT) against 2,729 strains of 11 organisms freshly isolated from 10 medical institutions in Japan between June 1983 and January 1984 and obtained the following results: Against S. pyogenes, LMOX and CTT, which have the methoxy group at the 7 position, were less active than the other drugs. LMOX inhibited 80% of S. pyogenes at 0.78 micrograms/ml; CTT, at 1.56 micrograms/ml; but CZX and CTX inhibited 100% at 0.025 micrograms/ml or lower; CMX, at 0.05 micrograms/ml; and CPZ and CAZ, at 0.20 micrograms/ml. Against H. influenzae, E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. mirabilis and indole-positive Proteus, these test antibiotics, especially CZX, CTX and CMX, which have the aminothiazolyl methoxyimino group, were potently active. Against S. marcescens CZX and CAZ were more active than the other drugs and against P. aeruginosa CAZ was more active than the other drugs. The test organisms did not tend to acquire resistance to these cephems when our results were compared with the results obtained at the development period.