[Comparative in vitro bacteriostatic and bactericidal effect of 5 macrolides: roxithromycin, erythromycin, oleandomycin, josamycin and spiramycin against 284 hospital bacterial strains].

The bacteriostatic and bactericidal activities of five macrolides (roxithromycin, erythromycin, troleandomycin, josamycin and spiramycin) were tested against 284 bacterial strains belonging to various species of Gram positive (staphylococci, streptococci, pneumococci, Listeria sp, Corynebacterium sp, Bacillus sp) and Gram negative bacteria (Neisseria sp, H. influenzae, P. multocida). The activity of these compounds on the whole strains showed near results: 71.8% of susceptible strains to erythromycin and spiramycin, 70% to josamycin, 67.6% to roxithromycin, 65.5% to troleandomycin. Resisting strains were MLSB resistant cocci Gram positive, H. influenzae and P. multocida strains. Species usually less studied (nongroupable streptococci, Corynebacterium sp, Bacillus sp) were very susceptible to macrolides with MICS equal or inferior to 1 mg/l for the two last genus. A bactericidal effect was observed for 38.8% of 72 tested strains (erythromycin), 36.1% (josamycin), 34.7% (spiramycin), 31.9% (roxithromycin), 20.8% (troleandomycin). Among various tested species, this bactericidal effect concerned especially group A streptococci, N. meningitidis and Corynebacterium (except D2 and JK species).