Activity of 13 beta-lactam agents combined with BRL 42715 against beta-lactamase producing gram-negative bacteria compared to combinations with clavulanic acid, tazobactam and sulbactam

The activity of six cephalosporins, six penicillins and one monobactam combined with BRL 42715, clavulanic acid, sulbactam or tazobactam at 0.1, 0.5, 1, 2, 5 and 10 mg/L was determined for 45 beta-lactamase producing Gram-negative bacteria. The combination of BRL 42715 with any of the agents was more active than any of the other inhibitor and beta-lactam combinations. Unlike the other beta-lactamase inhibitors, BRL 42715 enhanced the activity of the beta-lactams for strains that constitutively expressed Richmond & Sykes Class I beta-lactamase and against strains expressing extended-spectrum plasmid-mediated beta-lactamases.