Ceftazidime and amikacin alone and in combination against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Enterobacteriaceae.

The efficacy of ceftazidime alone and combined with amikacin was studied in a rabbit model simulating closed-space infections at locally neutropenic sites. Six strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and six Enterobacteriaceae (two strains each of Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia marcescens and one strain each of Escherichia coli and Citrobacter freundii) in pooled rabbit serum were each inoculated into separate subcutaneous semipermeable chambers. Intramuscular antibiotic therapy was begun 4 hr later with ceftazidime (50 mg/kg) alone and combined with amikacin (15 mg/kg) for Enterobacteriaceae or ceftazidime (100 mg/kg) alone and combined with amikacin (15 mg/kg) for pseudomonads every 6 hr for 16 doses. Amikacin alone was ineffective for all 12 strains. Ceftazidime alone was successful (greater than or equal to 5.5 log10 colony forming units (CFU)/ml decrease from drug-free control) in eliminating five of six Enterobacteriaceae but was not successful against any of the pseudomonads. Ceftazidime plus amikacin was successful against the same five of six Enterobacteriaceae and five of six pseudomonads. The best in vitro tests for the prediction of in vivo outcome were high inoculum (greater than or equal to 7 log10 CFU/ml) susceptibility, checkerboard synergism testing, and conventional inoculum time-kill rates at concentrations of antimicrobials simulating extravascular levels obtained in vivo.