Antagonism of cefamandole by cefoxitin in routine disk susceptibility tests.

Cefoxitin was found to antagonize cefamandole in standardized disk diffusion susceptibility tests. This antagonism increased as the distance between the two disks decreased, and was most frequently observed in tests with cephalothin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. It occurred in tests with 68 of 98 (69%) cephalothin-resistant isolates, one of six (17%) cephalothin-intermediate isolates, and one of 40 (3%) cephalothin-susceptible isolates. Clinical laboratories that use both disks in routine susceptibility tests should be aware of this anatagonism and should ensure that the disks are not placed in proximity to each other.