Citation

Stefani S, Russo G, Pellegrino MB, Mezzatesta ML, Nicoletti G. J. Int. Med. Res. 1991; 19(Suppl 1): 9A-16A.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1991, Field House Publishing)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Sulbactam/ampicillin is a combination between a 'suicide inhibitor' and a β-lactam, which has a wide spectrum of activity. Activity was evaluated in vitro using a sulbactam/ampicillin combination against 54 strains of species (38 β-lactamase producers) and 20 strains of Branhamella catarrhalis (16 β-lactamase producers). All the strains were isolated from sputum, sinus aspiration and tympanocentesis. In the case of Haemophilus species β-lactamase producers, sulbactam/ampicillin reduced the minimal inhibitory concentration of ampicillin by a factor of eight; good results were obtained also for B. catarrhalis. Streptococcus pneumoniae, H. influenzae, and B. catarrhalis are recognized as the major pathogens involved in upper respiratory tract infections and the increasing frequency of β-lactamase-producing strains has impaired the use of aminopenicillins. The ability of an inhibitor/β-lactam combination to restore the activity of the β-lactam suggests that this combination may be used as a first-choice therapy.

Language: en

Keywords

human; article; priority journal; nonhuman; ampicillin; antimicrobial activity; respiratory tract infection; sulbactam; beta lactamase; Branhamella catarrhalis; haemophilus; haemophilus influenzae; Haemophilus species; moraxella catarrhalis; respiratory tract infections; streptococcus pneumoniae; sulbactam/ampicillin