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 MIC50s/90s were > 32/> 32 and 0.5/32mg/L for the enterococci and non-fermentative Gram-negative bacilli (excluding A 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 A 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 <= 1 mg/L for the streptococci and <= 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.