In vitro activity of sulbactam/ampicillin and ampicillin against methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis.

Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ampicillin and ampicillin + sulbactam (1:1) against 165 strains of Staphylococcus aureus and 72 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis have been evaluated. The activity of the combination was very good. A concentration of 16 micrograms/ml + 16 micrograms/ml inhibited 96.9% of S. aureus and the 100% of S. epidermidis strains (at the same concentration ampicillin alone inhibited only 55.15% and 56.9% of S. aureus and S. epidermidis strains respectively). Activity against methicillin-resistant S. aureus (14.5%) was poor, whereas against methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis (67.2%) the combination maintained high efficacy.