In vitro evaluation of cefixime (FK027, FR17027, CL284635): spectrum against recent clinical isolates, comparative antimicrobial activity, beta-lactamase stability, and preliminary susceptibility testing criteria.

Cefixime, a new orally absorbed cephalosporin, was compared by in vitro testing with other oral beta-lactams, including cephalexin, cefaclor, cefuroxime, amoxicillin, and amoxicillin + clavulanate. Enterobacteriaceae were inhibited by lower concentrations of cefixime than any of the reference drugs; 90% and 95% were inhibited by less than or equal to 1.0 and less than or equal to 8.0 micrograms/ml, respectively. Cefixime was the least active among these drugs against staphylococci, with only 31% of 1106 strains inhibited by less than or equal to 8.0 micrograms/ml and less than 1% by less than or equal to 1.0 microgram/ml. Enterococci and pseudomonads were not susceptible to any of the drugs tested. Penicillin-resistant pneumococci were relatively resistant to cefixime, but penicillin-susceptible pneumococci were very susceptible to cefixime. Other streptococci were generally susceptible to all compounds tested, with relative activities of amoxicillin greater than cefaclor and cefuroxime greater than cefixime greater than cephalexin. Cefixime was inactive against Bacteroides species. A slight inoculum effect occurred with cefixime with inocolum concentrations varying from 10(5) to 10(6) colony forming units per milliliter, but this was more marked at 10(7) colony forming units per milliliter. Cefixime was resistant to hydrolysis by seven common beta-lactamases. It inhibited the hydrolysis of nitrocefin only by type 1 cephalosporinases. The disk diffusion zone diameter breakpoints for the 30-micrograms cefixime disk were determined by regression analysis to be greater than or equal to 27 mm (susceptible) and less than or equal to 23 mm (resistant), respectively corresponding to minimal inhibitory concentration breakpoints of less than or equal to 1.0 and greater than or equal to 4.0 micrograms/ml. Because of the high interpretive error rate (13.8%) and the occurrence of these breakpoints on the parabolic portion of the regression curve, we recommend further evaluation of cefixime disks with lower potencies.