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Comparative in-vitro activity of cefaclor against urinary tract isolates of Escherichia coli

Webster CA, Curran R, Towner KJ

The Journal of antimicrobial chemotherapy, 1996

15 citations

Abstract

Insusceptibility levels of cefaclor and other commonly prescribed antibiotics were determined for 489 consecutive hospital and community-associated urinary tract isolates of Escherichia coli from the Nottingham area of the UK. Significant resistance (MIC of > or = 8 mg/L) to cefaclor was found to be uncommon in the UK, with insusceptibility percentages as low as 1.5% and 1.4% amongst hospital and community isolates, respectively. When compared with other antimicrobials used commonly for treating urinary tract infection, only ciprofloxacin showed greater activity, though cefaclor showed significantly greater in-vitro activity than cephalexin, ampicillin and trimethoprim. Only seven isolates were insusceptible to cefaclor at a concentration of 8 mg/L. Each of these isolates produced a beta-lactamase, but it is unlikely that beta-lactamase production was the sole reason for insusceptibility since these isolates were also insusceptible to co-amoxiclav. Cefaclor compared extremely well with co-amoxiclav against ampicillin-insusceptible isolates, with none of the pharmacokinetic difficulties and considerations associated with the use of beta-lactam:beta-lactamase inhibitor combinations. Cefaclor appears to be a useful cost-effective alternative to current therapeutic options, particularly for long-term low-dose treatment of recurrent urinary tract infection in those geographical areas where the likelihood of resistance to other possible agents is becoming unacceptably high.

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