[In vitro antibacterial activity of a new fluoroquinolone, sparfloxacin, against nosocomial bacteria, and concordance curve].

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of sparfloxacin (SFX) were determined by agar dilution for 3,164 bacterial strains isolated in 10 university hospitals; in addition, antibiograms by agar diffusion were performed with 5 micrograms disks. Activity of SFX against nalidixic acid (NAL) susceptible (S) Enterobacteriaceae was close to that of other fluoroquinolones (FQ) (MIC 50 and 90: 0.06-0.

[In vitro antibacterial activity of cefpirome: a new cephalosporin; results of a multicenter study].

The in vitro activity of cefpirome, a new injectable cephalosporin was studied against 1,082 clinical isolates in a multicentre study. Minimum inhibitory concentrations were determined using an agar dilution method. Cefpirome was active against Enterobacteriaceae.

[In vitro antibacterial activity of a new fluoroquinolone, fleroxacin, against hospital bacteria and regression curve].

Minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of fleroxacin (FLE) were determined by agar dilution for 1261 bacterial strains isolated in 1992 in 4 university hospitals; in addition, antibiograms by agar diffusion were performed with 5 micrograms disks. Activity of FLE against nalidixic acid (NAL) susceptible (S) Enterobacteriaceae was close to that of other fluoroquinolones (FQ) (MIC 50 and 90: 0.12-0.

Enhanced conjugative transfer of plasmid DNA from Escherichia coli to Staphylococcus aureus and Listeria monocytogenes.

Transfer of mobilizable shuttle cloning vectors by conjugation from Escherichia coli to Staphylococcus aureus occurred at a very low frequency (10(-9) transconjugants per donor colony-forming unit after the mating period). It was observed that subinhibitory concentrations of penicillins (oxacillin or penicillin G) in the mating medium resulted in increased transfer frequency by conjugation of the shuttle vector pAT18 from E. coli SM10 to S.

Resistance of enterococci to aminoglycosides and glycopeptides.

High-level resistance to aminoglycosides in enterococci often is mediated by aminoglycoside-modifying enzymes, and the corresponding genes generally are located on self-transferable plasmids. These enzymes are similar to those in staphylococci but differ from the modifying enzymes of gram-negative bacteria. Three classes of enzymes are distinguished, depending upon the reaction catalyzed.