Antibacterial activity of oral antibiotics against community‐acquired respiratory pathogens from three European countries

• Published in: Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy Vol. 50; no. suppl-1; pp. 7 - 11
• Main Authors: Schito, Gian Carlo, Georgopoulos, Apostolos, Prieto, José
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Oxford University Press 01.07.2002; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Administration, Oral; Anti-Bacterial Agents - pharmacology; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; Austria; Cefpodoxime; Ceftizoxime - analogs & derivatives; Ceftizoxime - pharmacology; Ceftizoxime - therapeutic use; Community-Acquired Infections - drug therapy; Community-Acquired Infections - microbiology; Gram-Negative Bacteria - drug effects; Gram-Negative Bacteria - isolation & purification; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Gram-Negative Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - drug therapy; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections - microbiology; Gram-Positive Cocci - drug effects; Gram-Positive Cocci - isolation & purification; Humans; Italy; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Respiratory Tract Infections - drug therapy; Respiratory Tract Infections - microbiology; Spain; Italy; Austria; Spain
• ISSN: 0305-7453; 1460-2091
• DOI: 10.1093/jac/dkf802

Antimicrobial resistance is universally recognized as a major problem. A European resistance survey was established to monitor the activity of widely used oral antibiotics against common respiratory tract pathogens. Studies were conducted in Italy, Spain and Austria to monitor resistance patterns among respiratory Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amoxicillin, co‐amoxiclav, penicillin, cefaclor, cefadroxil, cefalexin, cefprozil, cefuroxime, cefixime, ceftibuten, cefpodoxime, clarithromycin and azithromycin (the antibiotics tested varying slightly from country to country). Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using the NCCLS‐recommended broth microdilution method. Among the antibiotics tested, cefpodoxime, an oral cephalosporin, was remarkably active against the major respiratory pathogens in all three countries. Cefpodoxime was more potent than cefaclor, cefixime and ceftibuten against pneumococci, especially against strains with decreased sensitivity to penicillin, and more active than cefaclor and cefuroxime against Gram‐negative respiratory pathogens. Pneumococci and staphylococci displayed a very high level of in vitro macrolide resistance. These data indicate that cefpodoxime represents an appropriate choice in the treatment of community‐acquired respiratory tract infection in the three countries surveyed.