In vitro susceptibility of recent isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae to cephalosporins of different generations and penicillin G: a comparative evaluation.

98 recent clinical isolates of Neisseria gonorrhoeae (96 nonpenicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (NPPNG) and 2 penicillinase-producing N. gonorrhoeae (PPNG) strains) were tested for their antibiotic susceptibility using the agar dilution test. The antibiotics examined all belonged to the beta-lactam group: penicillin G represented the penicillins, cephalothin, cefazolin, cefotiam, cefmenoxime and ceftizoxime represented the different groups of cephalosporins. In the in vitro tests cephalothin and cefazolin proved less active than penicillin G, cefotiam a bit more and both cefmenoxime and ceftizoxime much more active. These last three antibiotics should become promising alternatives to penicillin in the therapy of gonorrhea caused either by NPPNG or PPNG strains.