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Comparative in vitro activity of norfloxacin against urinary tract pathogens

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Abstract

The in vitro activity of norfloxacin (MK366) against 477 aerobic gram-negative and gram-positive clinical isolates was compared to that of nalidixic acid, nitrofurantoin, ampicillin, cephalexin, trimethoprim, sulfamethoxazole, and the combination trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Norfloxacin was more active than the other agents against all gram-negative organisms tested. Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ofPseudomonas aeruginosa were ⩽ 0.125–32 mg/l with 90 % inhibited (MIC90) by 4 mg/l; MICs of theEnterobacteriaceae includingSerratia marcescens were ⩽ 0.125–8 mg/l with an MIC90 of ⩽ 4 mg/l. There was also excellent activity against the grampositive cocci includingStaphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus saprophyticus and the enterococci, with MICs ⩽ 0.125–4 mg/l and an MIC90 ⩽ 4 mg/l. Only 8 of 477 organisms were norfloxacin-resistant (MIC ⩾ 16 mg/l): 3 of 100Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 3 of 10Pseudomonas maltophilia and 2 of 15Streptococcus bovis strains. In contrast, 97 % of the gram-positive cocci and 49 % of the gram-negative bacilli were nalidixic acid-resistant (MIC ⩾ 32 mg/l). Norfloxacin shows excellent activity against a wide range of bacteria and merits further study as a urinary antibacterial agent.

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Haase, D., Urias, B., Harding, G. et al. Comparative in vitro activity of norfloxacin against urinary tract pathogens. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. 2, 235–241 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02029524

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