Antibacterial activity and beta-lactamase stability of ceftazidime, an aminothiazolyl cephalosporin potentially active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The in vitro activity and beta-lactamase stability of ceftazidime were evaluated against 700 gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Ceftazidime was less active than penicillins or older cephalosporins against Staphylococcus spp. and Streptococcus spp., and it did not inhibit Streptococcus faecalis, Listeria, or anaerobic species. Ceftazidime was as active as ceftizoxime and moxalactam and more active than cefoperazone against Escherichia coli. Klebsiella, and Proteus mirabilis with minimal inhibitory concentrations of less than 0.2 mg/liter. Ceftazidime also inhibited Enterobacter, Citrobacter, Salmonella, and Shigella at concentrations below 0.2 mg/liter. Most Morganella, Proteus rettgeri, Proteus vulgaris, and Proteus inconstans were inhibited at concentrations below 1 mg/liter, similar to the concentrations for moxalactam, ceftizoxime, and cefotaxime. Ceftazidime was the most active agent tested against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, with a mean minimal inhibitory concentration of 1.6 mg/liter. It inhibited carbenicillin-, piperacillin-, cefoperazone-, and cefsulodin-resistant Pseudomonas. Minimal inhibitory and minimal bactericidal concentrations were similar, with the exception of some Pseudomonas values at 10(7) colony-forming units. Use of different media did not alter minimal inhibitory concentration values. Ceftazidime was not hydrolyzed by staphylococcal beta-lactamase or plasmid beta-lactamase of the TEM-1, TEM-2, SHV-1, OXA-1, PSE-1, PSE-2 types or by inducible beta-lactamases of the cephalosporinase type. Ceftazidime provides an extremely active agent against aerobic and facultative gram-negative bacteria.