Comparative activity of piperacillin/tazobactam against 5625 isolates from hospitalised patients

The comparative activities of piperacillin/tazobactam and other antibiotics against 5625 Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria freshly isolated from hospitalized patients was examined. The percentage of Enterobacteriaceae susceptible to piperacillin/tazobactam, ceftazidime, imipenem and ciprofloxacin was very similar and varied from 81% to 84% in the Enterobacteriaceae with inducible type 1 beta-lactamases and from 93 to 97% in the non-inducible organisms. Piperacillin/tazobactam was similar in activity to ceftazidime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and more active than imipenem or ciprofloxacin. Piperacillin/tazobactam is more active than ceftazidime against Gram-positive bacteria (staphylococci, enterococci) and seems to be a promising antibiotic for nosocomial infections.