Activity of ceftazidime against gram-negative bacilli from paediatric patients

Clinically relevant bacterial isolates from paediatric patients were tested for in-vitro susceptibility to ceftazidime. They included 54 strains of coliform bacilli from infants with meningitis, 41 strains of coliforms which were multiply-resistant to aminoglycosides, 65 strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa from burn unit patients, cystic fibrosis patients and other clinical specimens, and 16 miscellaneous nonfermentative bacilli. The range of MICs for coliform bacilli was from ≤ 0.06 to 0.5 mg/l and the MIC₉₀ was 0.25 mg/l. One psuedomonas isolate and two nonfermenters were resistant, but the others were susceptible with an MIC₉₀ of 8 mg/l and a median MIC of 2 mg/lg. Ceftazidime has comparable activity to moxalactam, ceftriaxone and cefotaxime against coliform bacilli and greater activity against psuedomonas strains.