Antipseudomonal activity of piperacillin/tazobactam: more than a decade of experience from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1997-2007).

We evaluated the susceptibility rates for piperacillin/tazobactam tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates from the Asia-Pacific (APAC), Europe (EU), Latin America (LA), and North America (NA) for 1997 to 2007. A total of 25 460 isolates were tested originating from APAC (4441), EU (7695), LA (4277), and NA (9047). All testing was performed by reference broth microdilution methods. The samples were collected from >110 medical centers and samples averaging >30 nations/year. For this analysis, results from 1997 to 2007, 1997 to 1999, 2005 to 2007, APAC, EU, LA, and NA were assessed against several broad-spectrum beta-lactams, including cefepime, ceftazidime, imipenem, meropenem, and piperacillin alone, for a total of 12 agents overall. Using P. aeruginosa breakpoints (< or =64 microg/mL), piperacillin/tazobactam had the broadest coverage (% susceptible) in 2 regions (EU, LA) and, overall, at 83.6% followed by meropenem (83.0%) > imipenem (79.7%) > piperacillin (79.5%) > cefepime (77.5%) > ceftazidime (75.8%). Other non-beta-lactam activity results were ciprofloxacin at only 71.5% susceptible, but tobramycin and polymyxin B had higher susceptibility rates (81.0% and 99.5%, respectively). Trends toward piperacillin/tazobactam resistance were noted between 1997 to 1999 and 2000 to 2007 in APAC (-11.6% susceptibility), NA (-4.0%), and EU (-2.3%). LA susceptibility rates were lowest overall but actually increased recently by +2.9% (current rate, 79.4% susceptible). For beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations, susceptibility rates were higher for piperacillin/tazobactam when compared in all regions with piperacillin alone (+2.6-7.1%) and greatest for LA isolates. In contrast, ticarcillin/clavulanate susceptibility rates were lower than ticarcillin tested alone in NA (-1.5%, antagonism), and this agent only inhibited 70.3% of isolates worldwide. In conclusion, piperacillin/tazobactam remained a very active beta-lactam when tested in vitro against clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa found in the SENTRY Program (1997-2007). Trends toward slightly decreased susceptibility were noted in all regions over the last decade (except LA); only polymyxins had susceptibility rates at >90%. Resistance surveillance programs should be sustained to document emerging resistance patterns of old and newer agents for difficult-to-treat pathogens such as P. aeruginosa.