Activity in vitro of twelve antibiotics against clinical isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase producing Escherichia coli.

Twelve beta-lactam and non-beta-lactam antibiotics were evaluated against 115 clinical isolates of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing (ESBLs) Escherichia coli using a broth microdilution test in accordance with the CLSI guidelines. Susceptibility was 100% with imipenem, ertapenem and amikacin, 95.7% with piperacillin-tazobactam, 91.3% with cefoxitin, 87% with tobramycin, 81.7% with amoxicillin-clavulanate, 80% with cefepime, 67.8% with ceftazidime, 27.8% with ciprofloxacin, 27% with levofloxacin and 13% with ceftriaxone. Ertapenem was the antibiotic with the lowest minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for all isolates. There were no clinically relevant differences in the activity of the antibiotics in the presence of CTX-M-9 or SHV enzymes.