A multicenter study of the in vitro antianaerobic activity of cefotetan compared with other antimicrobial agents.

The in vitro antianaerobic activity of cefotetan was compared with that of chloramphenicol, clindamycin, cefoxitin, and penicillin in a multicenter study. Both agar dilution and broth microdilution testing procedures, as described by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS), were employed; a total of 1,377 strains were examined. Results were interpreted using the U.S. Food and Drug Administration- and NCCLS-recommended criteria. This study indicates that Bacteroides fragilis, Clostridium difficile, and most other clinically significant anaerobic bacteria are susceptible to cefotetan.