Interpretive criteria, quality control guidelines, and drug stability studies for susceptibility testing of cefotaxime, cefoxitin, ceftazidime, and cefuroxime against Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Cefotaxime, cefoxitin, ceftazidime, and cefuroxime were tested in a multicenter study to establish susceptibility testing criteria and quality control guidelines for Neisseria gonorrhoeae. Interpretive criteria were established by using triplicate testing of at least 100 gonococcal strains having various susceptibility patterns to currently utilized drug regimens. Only a susceptible category was proposed for cefotaxime and ceftazidime (greater than or equal to 31 mm and less than or equal to 0.5 micrograms/ml) because of rare resistant isolates. The other interpretive crtieria were cefoxitin susceptible, greater than or equal to 28 mm (less than or equal to 2 micrograms/ml); intermediate, 24-27 mm (4 micrograms/ml), and resistant, less than or equal to 23 mm (greater than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml); cefuroxime-susceptible, greater than or equal to 31 mm (less than or equal to 1 micrograms/ml); moderately susceptible, 26-30 mm (2 micrograms/ml); and resistant, less than or equal to 25 mm (greater than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml). Quality control criteria were established by using multiple agar lots, three disk lots, and a number of replicates consistent with National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards M23-T guidelines.