COMPARATIVE IN VITRO ACTIVITY OF FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD GENERATION CEPHALOSPORINS

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Abstract
Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined against 662 recent clinical (human) isolates for 8 cephalosporins representing 1st, 2nd and 3rd generation compounds. All 4 3rd-generation cephalosporins tested (cefoperaxone, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and moxalactam) were significantly more active against aerobic gram-negative bacteria than the older compounds (cephalothin, cefamandole, cefoxitin and cefuroxime). Cefotaxime and moxalactam were most active against Enterobacteriaceae with extremely low MIC-values. Ceftazidime was definitely most active against Pseudomonas aeruginosa with > 90% of strains inhibited at 4 .mu.g/ml. MIC-values for cefotaxime against Staphylococcus aureus were for all strains 1-2 .mu.g/ml, slightly higher for cefoperazone; the effect of ceftazidime and moxalactam was more limited. All 3rd generation cephalosporins demonstrated efficiency against Streptococcus pyrogens, cefotaxime being most active and moxalactam least active, but were essentially ineffective against S. faecalis. Moxalactam demonstrated higher activity against Bacteroides fragilis than other 2nd and 3rd generation cephalosporins including cefoxitin. Previous studies demonstrated a very high activity of all 3rd generation cephalosporins against Haemophilus influenzae and Neisseria gonorrhoeae, including .beta.-lectamase producing strains.

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