Comparative activity of tobramycin, amikacin, and gentamicin alone and with carbenicillin against Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

The effect of gentamicin against 130 clinical isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was compared with that of two investigational aminoglycoside antibiotics, tobramycin and amikacin. Minimal inhibitory concentration data indicated that, on a weight basis, tobramycin was two to four times as active as gentamicin against most isolates. However, 14 of 18 organisms highly resistant to gentamicin (>/=80 mug/ml) were also highly resistant to tobramycin. Amikacin was the least active aminoglycoside on a weight basis, but none of the isolates were highly resistant to this antibiotic. When therapeutically achievable concentrations were used, adding carbenicillin to gentamicin or to tobramycin enhanced inhibitory activity against those isolates susceptible (</=5 mug/ml) or moderately resistant (10 to 40 mug/ml) to the aminoglycoside. Such synergy was seldom demonstrated for isolates highly resistant to gentamicin or tobramycin. The combination of carbenicillin and amikacin enhanced inhibition against all but two of the isolates. Both tobramycin and amikacin offer in vitro advantages over gentamicin against P. aeruginosa.