Modification of the microtiter technique for antimicrobial drug susceptibility testing by incorporation of indicators.

A pH indicator and dextrose were incorporated into growth media as a modification of microbial microtiter methods for determining the minimal inhibitory concentration of antimicrobial drugs. This modified method was tested to evaluate the ease of reading end points by changes in the indicator color. Application of the procedure to two media, three indicators, and eight species of bacteria indicated that definitive end points could be reached as a result of indicator color change caused by acid production during bacterial growth. This method is accurate and reproducible. It is a modification which eliminates a need for plating and facilitates the reading of minimal inhibitory concentration end points.