Skip to main content
Log in

In vitro susceptibility of anaerobes to co-trimoxazole

In-vitro-Empfindlichkeit von Anaerobiern gegenüber Co-Trimoxazol

  • Published:
Infection Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim against 144 strains of obligately anaerobic bacteria were determined on supplemented Diagnostic Sensitivity Test (Oxoid) agar or broth. 58% of the strains were susceptible to sulfamethoxazole alone (MIC ≤ 16 µg/ml), only 12% were susceptible to trimethoprim alone (≤1 µg/ml), and 85% were susceptible to the combination of sulfamethoxazole plus trimethoprim (≤ 16 µg/ml) at a ratio of 19:1. All 45 strains of theBacteroides fragilis group were susceptible to the combination. At a ratio of 1:1, 78% of the strains showed synergistic activity, at a ratio of 16:1 there was synergism in 54% of the strains. When the strains were tested by a modification of the broth-disc method in Diagnostic Sensitivity Test broth, there was over 98% correlation with the MIC. There was poor correlation between inhibition zone diameters by an agar diffusion method and MIC.

Zusammenfassung

Die minimalen Hemmkonzentrationen (MHK) von Sulfamethoxazol und Trimethoprim gegen 144 obligat anaerobe Bakterienstämme wurden in supplementiertem Diagnostic Sensitivity Test (Oxoid)-Agar und -Bouillon bestimmt. 58% der Stämme waren auf Sulfamethoxazol allein empfindlich (MHK ≤16 µg/ml), nur 12% auf Trimethoprim allein (≤1 µg/ml), aber 85% auf die Kombination von Sulfamethoxazol und Trimethoprim (≤16 µg/ml) in einem Verhältnis von 19:1. Alle 45 Stämme derBacteroides fragilis-Gruppe waren auf die Kombination empfindlich. Bei einem Verhältnis von 1:1 zeigten 78% der Stämme Synergismus, bei einem Verhältnis von 16:1 war dies noch bei 54% der Stämme der Fall. Wurden die Stämme in einer Modifikation der „broth-disc“-Methode in Diagnostic Sensitivity Test-Bouillon geprüft, so betrug die Übereinstimmung mit den MHK-Werten über 98%. Eine sehr schlechte Korrelation war in einem Agardiffusionstest zwischen Hemmhofdurchmesser und den MHK-Werten feststellbar.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Literatur

  1. Rosenblatt, J. E., Stewart, P. R. Lack of activity of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim against anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 6 (1974) 93–97.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Dornbusch, K., Nord, C.-E., Wadström, T. Biochemical characterization andin vitro determination of antibiotic susceptibility of clinical isolates ofBacteroides fragilis. Scand. J. Infect. Dis. 6 (1974) 253–258.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Okubadejo, O. A. Susceptibility ofBacteroides fragilis to cotrimoxazole. Lancet I (1974) 1061.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Okubadejo, O. A., Green, P. J., Payne, D. J. H. Bacteroides in the blood. Lancet I (1973) 147.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Phillips, I., Warren, C. Activity of sulfamethoxazole and trimethoprim againstBacteroides fragilis. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 9 (1976) 736–740.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Schoutens, E., Labbé, M., Yourassowsky, E. Septicémies àBacteroides fragilis. Incidence et sensibilité des souches aux antibiotiques. Pathol. Biol. 21 (1973) 349–353.

    Google Scholar 

  7. Wilkins, T. D., Chalgren, S. Medium for use in antibiotic susceptibility testing of anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 10 (1976) 926–928.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Then, R. L., Angehrn, P. Low trimethoprim susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria based on insensitive dihydrofolate reductases: In:Siegenthaler, W., Lüthy, R. (ed.): Current chemotherapy. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy, Zurich, 1977, Vol. 1. American Society for Microbiology, Washington D. C., 1978, p. 662–666.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Phillips, I. Susceptibility of anaerobes to miscellaneous agents: In:Siegenthaler, W., Lüthy, R. (ed.): Current chemotherapy. Proceedings of the 10th International Congress of Chemotherapy, Zurich, 1977, Vol. 1, American Society for Microbiology, Washington D. C., 1978, p. 63–64.

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kerry, D. W., Hamilton-Miller, J. M. T., Brumfitt, W. Trimethoprim and rifampicin:in vitro activities separately and in combination. J. Antimicrob. Chemother. 1 (1975) 417–427.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Sutter, V. L., Vargo, V. L., Finegold, S. M. Wadsworth anaerobic bacteriology manual, 2nd ed. Anaerobic Bacteriology Laboratory, Wadsworth Hospital Center, and Department of Medicine, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles 1975.

    Google Scholar 

  12. Wilkins, T. D., Thiel, T. Modified broth-disc method for testing the antibiotic susceptibility of anaerobic bacteria. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 3 (1973) 350–356.

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ferone, R., Bushby, S. R. M., Burchall, J. J., Moore, W. D., Smith, D. Identification of Harper-Cawston factor as thymidine phosphorylase and removal of substances interfering with susceptibility testing to sulfonamides and diaminopyrimidines. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 7 (1975) 91–98.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wüst, J. In vitro susceptibility of anaerobes to co-trimoxazole. Infection 8 (Suppl 2), S187–S189 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01639889

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01639889

Keywords

Navigation