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Relative efficacy of tazobactam, sulbactam and clavulanic acid in enhancing the potency of ampicillin against clinical isolates ofEnterobacteriaceae

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Abstract

Three beta-lactamase inhibitors were combined with ampicillin in a fixed 2:1 ratio. The activity of ampicillin was enhanced by tazobactam and by clavulanic acid, and to a lesser extent by sulbactam when tested against fresh clinical isolates ofEnterobacteriaceae. At a concentration of 8 µg/ml, ampicillin alone inhibited 49.6 % of 2,434 consecutive isolates of enteric bacilli compared to 81 % inhibited by ampicillin combined with tazobactam or clavulanic acid and 69.3 % inhibited by the sulbactam/ampicillin combination. A four-fold or greater reduction in ampicillin MICs was observed in comparable numbers of isolates with all three combinations, but the most marked effects were seen with strains that were highly resistant to ampicillin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Oregon Health Sciences University, 3181 S.W. Sam Jackson Park Road, 97201, Portland, Oregon, USA

    M. Pfaller

  2. The Clinical Microbiology Institute, 97062, Tualatin, Oregon, USA

    A. Barry

  3. St. Vincent Hospital & Medical Center, 97225, Portland, Oregon, USA

    P. Fuchs

  4. St. Frances Regional Medical Center, 67214, Wichita, Kansas, USA

    E. Gerlach

  5. University of Rochester Medical Center, 14642, Rochester, New York, USA

    D. Hardy

  6. University of New Mexico Medical Center, 87106, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

    J. McLaughlin

Authors
  1. M. Pfaller
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  2. A. Barry
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  3. P. Fuchs
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  4. E. Gerlach
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  5. D. Hardy
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  6. J. McLaughlin
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Pfaller, M., Barry, A., Fuchs, P. et al. Relative efficacy of tazobactam, sulbactam and clavulanic acid in enhancing the potency of ampicillin against clinical isolates ofEnterobacteriaceae . Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 12, 200–205 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01967112

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