Effect of ticarcillin and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid on the in-vitro activity of human granulocytes against beta-lactamase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae.

Clavulanic acid is an effective inhibitor of a broad range of clinically important beta-lactamases and its combination with some beta-lactam antibiotics such as ticarcillin has been shown to extend the inhibition spectrum of the beta-lactams. The activity of ticarcillin, both alone and in combination with clavulanic acid, upon PMN phagocytosis and bactericidal activity towards Klebsiella pneumoniae was investigated. The results indicate that a combination of ticarcillin with clavulanic acid is more active than ticarcillin alone against a beta-lactamase-producing strain of K. pneumoniae, and hence may significantly increase the bacterial vulnerability to phagocyte functions.