Cefixime

The spectrum of antibacterial activity of cefixime was defined by reviewing data from two multicenter studies and three independent studies that we performed within the past 3 years. Microdilution tests were performed with 16 016 bacterial isolates. An isolate was considered susceptible to cefixime if the minimal inhibitory concentration was <1.0 μg/m1 and resistant if the minimal inhibitory concentration was >4.0 μg/ml. Cefixime was effective against the En-terobacteriaceae (87.7% susceptible to 1.0 μg/ ml) as well as against pathogenic Neisseria spp. (including penicillin-resistant gonococci), Haemophilus influenzae (including ampicillin-resistant strains), penicillin-susceptible Streptococcus pneumoniae and other Streptococcus species (minimal concentration inhibiting 90% of organisms <0.25 /μg/ml). Species resistant to cefixime included penicillin-resistant pneumococci, Staphylococcus spp., Enterococcus spp., Listeria spp., Acinetobacter spp. and Pseudomonas spp.