Comparative in vitro antimicrobial activity of a new carbapenem, doripenem: tentative disc diffusion criteria and quality control.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the spectrum of activity of doripenem and to propose tentative MIC and disc diffusion breakpoints.

METHODS: The in vitro susceptibilities of 2137 bacterial isolates, representing 28 different species, to doripenem, imipenem and meropenem were determined by the NCCLS broth microdilution and disc diffusion testing methods.

RESULTS: The doripenem MIC(50)s/(90)s were (in mg/L) for Enterobacteriaceae, 0.06/0.25; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, 0.25/1; Haemophilus influenzae, 0.12/0.5; streptococci, 0.016/0.5 and for staphylococci, 0.06/4. Like other carbapenems tested, doripenem MIC(50)s/(90)s were >32/>32 and 0.5/32 mg/L for the enterococci and non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli (excluding P. aeruginosa), respectively. Against members of the Enterobacteriaceae and H. influenzae, doripenem was generally more active than imipenem and the same as or slightly less active than meropenem. Values for the non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli excluding P. aeruginosa were comparable for all three carbapenems. Doripenem MICs increased with increasing resistance to methicillin (staphylococci), penicillin (streptococci) and strains that were beta-lactamase-negative ampicillin-resistant (Haemophilus). Doripenem exhibits excellent activity against extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella spp. The NCCLS disc diffusion test was performed simultaneously on all organisms.

CONCLUSIONS: Assuming the MIC susceptible breakpoints for doripenem are < or =1 mg/L for the streptococci and < or =2 mg/L for all other genera, then disc diffusion zone diameter breakpoints can be proposed. In addition, MIC and/or disc diffusion quality control ranges of doripenem were determined for 10 ATCC reference strains.