Evaluation study on antimicrobial activity of cefepime compared to other five broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotics

AIM: To compare the antimicrobial activity cefepime with other five broad-spectrum beta-lactams. METHODS: EmPloyed E-test method to determine the minimum inhibiting concentration (MIC) antibiotics against 100 strains bacteria. RESULTS: Among the six antimicrobial agents tested, imipenem and cefepime were the most active against all isolates tested. The rank order susceptibility the six agents was imipenem (94 % ), cefepime (85% ), cefoperazone /sulbactam (7 8 % ), ceftazidime (77% ), ceftriaxone (65 % ), piperacillin (48 % ). It was showed that cefepime had been very active against oxacillin-susceptible staphylococci. The activity cefepime was stronger than that of the third generation cephalosporins against Enterobacteriaceae, and similar to ceftazidime against Pseudomonas aeruginosa. CONCLUSION: The antimicrobial activity cefepime is stronger than that of the third generating cephalosporins not only against gram-negative bacilli but also against gram-positive cocci.