[Susceptibility of major pathogens of acute pharyngitis and tonsillitis to levofloxacin and other oral antimicrobial drugs].

A total of 2865 strains of the causative organisms isolated from the patients with acute pharyngitis and tonsillitis at the primary medical institutions were used in this study. The MICs of levofloxacin (LVFX) and other oral antimicrobial drugs were determined and evaluated by the NCCLS guideline. LVFX, cefditoren (CDTR) and cefcapene (CFPN) were potently active against 773 isolates of Hemophilus influenzae, the MIC50S of LVFX being < or = 0.06 microgram/mL and also the same as the MIC90S of LVFX. LVFX was the most active against 496 isolates of Enterobacteriaceae. The MIC50S of LVFX were < or = 0.06 microgram/mL and were lower than those of CDTR, cefdinir (CFDN) and cefpodoxime (CPDX) (MIC50S: 0.5 microgram/mL). The MIC90S of these cephems were markedly higher than the respective MIC50S, whereas MIC50 of LVFX was 0.12 microgram/mL, only twice the MIC50. Against the majority of Streptococcus pyogenes (555 isolates) and Streptococcus spp. (495 isolates), CDTR, CFDN, CPDX and CFPN were highly active (MICs: < or = 0.06 microgram/mL), and clarithromycin (CAM) and azithromycin (AZM) were also active against these organisms (MICs: 0.12 to 0.25 microgram/mL). Against S. pneumoniae (92 isolates), CDTR and CFDN were active (MIC50S: 0.12 and 0.25 microgram/mL, respectively). However, the MIC90S of these drugs were 4-8 times the MIC50S. Against Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis (454 isolates), LVFX was potently active, the MIC90 of LVFX being < or = 0.06 microgram/mL and MIC90S of the other cephems being 0.5 microgram/mL or more. When the susceptibility of these strains to LVFX was evaluated by the NCCLS guideline, about 3% of other Streptococcus spp. were resistant to the drug but no test strains resistant to LVFX were detected in H. influenzae, S. pyogenes or Enterobacteriaceae. On the other hand, the percentages of strains susceptible to the cephems tested were 60-90%, which were quite different according to kinds of drugs and species used. Furthermore, the strains of S. pneumoniae resistant to CFDN and CPDX, and those to CAM and AZM were 21-25% and 50% or more, respectively, whereas no LVFX-resistant strains were detected. The major pathogens isolated from patients with pharyngitis and tonsillitis in the primary institutions were highly susceptible to LVFX. These results suggest that LVFX is a useful drug which is potently active against the strains resistant to oral cephem and macrolide antibiotics.

[Antibacterial activity of gatifloxacin against various fresh clinical isolates in 2002].

Antibacterial activities of gatifloxacin (GFLX) and other antibacterial drugs against various fresh clinical strains (800 isolates) isolated from specimens of patients in 2002 were compared. GFLX was more active than levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin against Gram-positive bacteria such as methicillin susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae. For these isolates, clarithromycin and azithromycin were less active (MIC90; > 16- > 64 micrograms/mL), GFLX was more active than cefdinir. For Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter species, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, three quinolones including GFLX were potently active (MIC90; < or = 0.06-0.5 microgram/mL). Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolated from urinary tract infections were resistant to three quinolones including GFLX (MIC90; 32-64 micrograms/mL), however P. aeruginosa isolated from respiratory and otolaryngological infections were more susceptible (MIC90; 0.5-2 micrograms/mL). Quinolones were less active against Neisseria gonorrhoeae as compared with the cephem antibiotics tested, but GFLX was the most active against N. gonorrhoeae among the quinolones tested. In this study, we investigated activity of GFLX against fresh clinical strains isolated early in 2002, GFLX is widely and potently active against S. aureus, S. pneumoniae and various Gram-negative bacteria.