Effect of beta-lactamase inhibitors on the antimicrobial activity of cefoperazone, cefotaxime, and ceftizoxime against aerobic and anaerobic beta-lactamase producing bacteria.

Clavulanic acid (2.0 micrograms/ml) lowered the minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of ceftizoxime and cefotaxime against 49 strains of the Bacteroides fragilis group by a mean of 4.0 and 3.4 log2 concentrations, respectively. Sulbactam plus ceftizoxime gave almost identical results. Sulbactam lowered cefoperazone MICs by a mean of 2 log2 concentrations. Against 52 aerobic and facultative isolates producing a variety of beta-lactamase types, the use of beta-lactamase inhibitors (sulbactam) was most effective in reducing the MICs of cefoperazone.