[Activity of fourth generation cephalosporins against clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae].

Cefpirome and cefepime are a novel group of cephalosporins which contain a positively charged quaternary ammonium at carbon 3 of the dihidrothiazone ring. The antimicrobial agents cefpirome, cefepime, cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime, cefoperazone and imipenem were tested against clinical isolates of Escherichia coli (n = 302) and Klebsiella spp. (n = 62) obtained during september-december 2002 from patients of Galaţi Emergency Hospital. The fourth generation cephalosporins cefpirome and cefepime have similar in vitro activities to the third generation cephalosporins. E. coli showed the comparable resistance rates for all cephalosporins. Against Klebsiella spp. strains cefpirome was less active (35.5% resistance) than cefepime (25.8% resistance). As expected, imipenem had excellent activity (100% susceptibility).