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In vitro susceptibility of Staphylococcus aureus towards amoxycillin‐clavulanic acid, penicillin‐clavulanic acid, dicloxacillin and cefuroxime
Author(s) -
Skov ROBERT,
FrimodtMØLler NIELS,
Espersen FRANK
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
apmis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.909
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1600-0463
pISSN - 0903-4641
DOI - 10.1034/j.1600-0463.2002.11007807.x
Subject(s) - clavulanic acid , microbiology and biotechnology , cefuroxime , penicillin , dicloxacillin , staphylococcus aureus , agar dilution , chemistry , antibiotics , beta lactamase , amoxicillin , cephalosporin , bacteria , minimum inhibitory concentration , biology , biochemistry , escherichia coli , genetics , gene
Sixty‐three Staphylococcus aureus isolates with a wide distribution in quantitative β‐lactamase production were tested in vitro against amoxycillin and penicillin in combination with clavulanic acid to establish the influence of total amount of β‐lactamase present on the ability of clavulanic acid to protect against β‐lactamase degradation. The β‐lactamase stability of cefuroxime and dicloxacillin was also evaluated. MIC was determined by agar dilution using Mueller‐Hinton agar with both a conventional as well as a 100 times higher inoculum. The strains were tested both with and without induction of the β‐lactamase production. Clavulanic acid was highly effective in protecting against β‐lactamase degradation of both penicillin and amoxycillin. Even when using a high inoculum of strains with induced β‐lactamase production, all strains had MICs below the NCCLS breakpoint of 4/2 mg/l for amoxycillin‐clavulanic acid. Both cefuroxime and dicloxacillin were highly stable against staphylococcal β‐lactamase degradation. This study encourages further in vivo evaluation of amoxycillin‐clavulanic acid for severe staphylococcal infections.