Evaluation of the in vitro activity of tobramycin as compared with that of gentamicin sulfate.

The in vitro activity of tobramycin was quantitatively compared with that of gentamicin sulfate against 195 bacterial isolates from clinical material. Tobramycin was found to be twice as active as gentamicin against isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Conversely, gentamicin proved fourfold more active than tobramycin against isolates of Serratia marcescens. Both drugs were of comparable activity against isolates of Staphylococcus aureus and the majority of the enterobacterial isolates other than S. marcescens. On the basis of the obtained data, the following criteria are proposed for the interpretation of diffusion susceptibility tests with 10-mug discs of gentamicin and tobramycin. Enterobacteriaceae and isolates of S. aureus are designated as susceptible to gentamicin and tobramycin if the zones of inhibition measure 15 mm or more in diameter; zones of 14 mm or less are indicative of resistance. Pseudomonadaceae are interpreted as sensitive to tobramycin and gentamicin if the inhibition zones measure at least 15 and 12 mm in diameter, respectively.