Vol.54 No.3 May 2006
Antimicrobial activity of meropenem against main bacterial species isolated from patient blood in 2004
Division of Clinical Microbiology, Department of Clinical Laboratories, Keio University Hospital,
35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Abstract
Using broth micro-dilution, we studied the susceptibility of 144 clinical isolates of Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Enterobacter spp., Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, and Staphylococcus epidermidis to meropenem (MEPM) and reference agents. All strains were isolated from the blood of patients admitted to Keio University Hospital between January 2004 and October 2004. The results were as follows:
1. MEPM and other carbapenems showed excellent antibacterial activity against most blood culture isolates, except for drug-resistant staphylococci (MRSA and some S. epidermidis). A comparison of the antibacterial activity of MEPM with that in previous studies showed no marked increase in MEPM-resistant clinical isolates.
2. MEPM differed microbiologically from imipenem, panipenem, and biapenem in its greater potency in vitro against most Gram-negative pathogens, including P. aeruginosa, and similar potency against many Gram-positive pathogens. Resistance to MEPM in clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa was not shown.
In conclusion, the results suggest that MEPM retains its potency as the agent of choice in treating serious infections.
Key word
blood culture, antimicrobial susceptibility, antibacterial activity, carbapenems, meropenem
Received
November 11, 2005
Accepted
March 2, 2006
Jpn. J. Chemother. 54 (3): 263-270, 2006
