The article describes the most frequently used antimicrobials, penicillin. The major disadvantage, side effects, dosages, and variation of actions of this agent were likewise discussed
Penicillins, Penicillin, Phenomethyl, Ampicillin, Amoxicillin, Carbenicillin, Methicillin, Nafcillin, Oxacillin, Dicloxacillin

Antimicrobial susceptibility of the bacterial strains isolated from clinical specimens during the period from June, 1983 to June, 1986 in Yeungnam Medical Center was studied and the following results were obtained. 1. Staphylococcus aureus was highly susceptible to cephalothin and its susceptibility to methicillin was gradually reduced. 2. Streptococcus strains except enterococcus were generally susceptible to penicillin, while most enterococci were susceptible to only ampicillin. 3. Gram-negative rods including Escherichia coli were highly susceptible to amikacin and tobramycin. 4. Serratia were generally less susceptible to the amtimicrobials tested than other Enterobacteriaceae. Among them, Serratia marcescens showed the highest susceptibility to amikacin and chloramphenicol. 5. Pseudomonas aeruginosa revealed the highest susceptibility to amikacin and tobramycin and moderate susceptibility to carbenicillin and gentamycin. 6. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus revealed low susceptibility to most antimicrobials tested, showing only 30% susceptibility to amikacin, tobramycin and gentamycin in 1986.
Acinetobacter calcoaceticus ; Amikacin ; Ampicillin ; Bacteria* ; Carbenicillin ; Cephalothin ; Chloramphenicol ; Enterobacteriaceae ; Enterococcus ; Escherichia coli ; Gentamicins ; Methicillin ; Penicillins ; Pseudomonas aeruginosa ; Serratia ; Serratia marcescens ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Tobramycin

Our present knowledge of impetigo contagiosa extends from its first description as a separate clinical entity by Fox in I864, and the proof of its bacterial etiology by Radcliffe-Crocker in 1881. Both staphylococci and streptococci have been discovered from the lesions, but the relative preponderance of each varies greatly, and reports are contradictory. Seventy-eight patients with impetigo contagiosa were studied bacteriologically in order to ascertain the primary etiologic agent. Also, a susceptibility test (Bauer- Kirby method) was done on the isolated organisms with 7 antibiotics which are used frequently in the clinical field. Specimens obtained from the skin lesions were cultured and organisms were isolated. They were identified by various biochemical and serological tests. A DN ase test, a carbohydrate fermentation test, and a coagulase test were done for the isolated staphylococci. A bacitracin disc method and a precipitin test(Lancefield method) were done for the isolated B-hemolytic streptococci. The results were as follows: Fifty-six cases(71.8%) were infected by staphylococcus only. Twenty cases(25.6%) were infected by a mixture of staphylococcus and p-hemo- lytic streptococcus. Only 2 cases(2.6%) were infected by B-hemolytic streptococcus alone. All 76 strains of staphylococci were identified as coagulase positive staphylococci. Among the 22 strains of B-hemolytic streptococci, 15 strains were identified as group A and remaining 7 strains were identified as group B. Coagulnse negative sta,phylococcus was not found. In the susceptibility test to 7 antibiotics, staphylococci showed susceptibility to lincomycin, erythromycin, cloxacillin, and chloramphenicol, and resistance to tetra-cycline, penicillin, and ampicillin. Streptococci showed susc.ptibility to all of the above antibiotics except tetracycline. From the results of this experiment, it was concluded that the primary etiologic agent of impetigo contagiosa was coagulase positive staphylococcus and streptococcus for the most part can be considered as a secondarily infecting agent. Coagulase negative staphylococcus apparently is not implicated as an etiologic agent of impetigo contagiosa. The results of the antibiotic susceptibility tests would seem to indicate that the use of such antibiotics as tetracycline, penicillin, and ampicillin is not indicated in the treatment of impetigo contagiosa.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Bacitracin ; Chloramphenicol ; Cloxacillin ; Coagulase ; Erythromycin ; Fermentation ; Humans ; Impetigo ; Lincomycin ; Penicillins ; Serologic Tests ; Skin ; Staphylococcus ; Streptococcus ; Tetracycline

To investigate the pathogenicity, genomic pattern, and o-like hemolysin of Staphylococcus lugdunensis (S. lugdunensis) in acute oral infection, S. lugdunensis was isolated from patients with an acute oral infection and from healthy persons. Antibiotic susceptibility, in vitro cellular toxicity, in vivo virulence, and hemolytic activity were tested, and plasmid DNA and restriction pattern of whole genomic DNA were analyzed to characterize the staphylococci. The dot blot and Southern blot hybridization analysis of staphylococcal DNA were performed with o-hemolysin gene probe. The isolation ratio of S. lugdunensis in the patients was higher than that in the healthy persons. S. lugdunensis from the patients with an acute oral infection showed resistance to penicillin, ampicillin, methicillin, cephalothin, and clindamycin. In the analysis of plasmid, there was a clear band about 6.5 kb in three strains of S. lugdunensis isolated from the patients with infection. S. lugdunensis in the patients had cellular toxicity in vitro and virulence in vivo. All strains of S. lugdunensis had o-like hemolysin activity against rabbit erythrocytes. Four of the six strains of S. lugdunensis gave synergistic hemolysis with Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) on sheep blood agar plates. In the analysis of genomic pattern, four strains of S. lugdunensis that gave synergistic hemolysis with S. aureus showed a similar genetic pattern with HindIII enzyme digests. In dot blot analysis, all strains of S. lugdunensis showed a positive reaction with the probe of 5-hemolysin gene in S. aureus. In Southern blot analysis, a 7.3 kb HindIII fragment was observed in DNA of S. lugdunensis that gave synergistic hemolysis with S. aureus, and a 2.5 kb band was observed in HindIII digests of S. aureus in the patients. These results suggest that S. lugdunensis may be an important pathogen in an acute oral infection and the 7.3 kb HindIII fragment from S. lugdunensis DNA may contain o-like hemolysin gene.
Agar ; Ampicillin ; Blotting, Southern ; Cephalothin ; Clindamycin ; DNA ; Erythrocytes ; Hemolysis ; Humans ; Methicillin ; Penicillins ; Plasmids ; Sheep ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Staphylococcus lugdunensis* ; Staphylococcus* ; Virulence

BACKGROUND: Hypersensitivity to penicillin has been studied worldwide, but data regarding patterns of sensitization in Arabian Gulf countries are scarce. OBJECTIVE: To describe the patterns of penicillin hypersensitivity during a 6-year study in Kuwait in terms of demographics, type of the culprit drug, in vivo and in vitro allergy testing. METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four patients referred to the drug allergy clinic for penicillin allergy were fully evaluated by skin prick and intradermal testing. Drug provocation test was done on patients with negative results. RESULTS: A total of 124 patients were evaluated for penicillin allergy. Mean age was 37.8 (standard deviation, 12.7) years, range from 8 to 74 years. Thirty-nine male (31.5%) and 85 female patients (68.5%) were included. Diagnosis of penicillin allergy was confirmed in 46 patients (37.1%). Among the 44 confirmed allergic patients by skin evaluation we had 15 (34.1%) positive skin prick test, and 29 (65.9%) positive intradermal testing. Among patients with positive skin testing, 47.7% were positive to major determinant benzylpenicilloyl poly-L-lysine, 20.4% to minor determinant mixture, 50.0% to penicillin G and 40.9% to ampicillin; 13.6% of patients were positive to amoxicillin by skin prick test. One patient had a positive radioallergosorbent test and one had a positive challenge test. CONCLUSION: Penicillin allergy is a common problem with an incidence of about one third in our study subjects.
Amoxicillin ; Ampicillin ; Demography ; Diagnosis ; Drug Hypersensitivity ; Female ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; In Vitro Techniques ; Incidence ; Intradermal Tests ; Kuwait ; Male ; Penicillin G ; Penicillins ; Radioallergosorbent Test ; Skin ; Skin Tests

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the most important nosocomial pathogens worldwide. This study was performed to investigate the characterization of MRSA isolated from healthy persons in Gwangju area. A total of 404 nasal swab samples was collected during October 2011 and May 2012 in Gwangu, Korea. A survey on MRSA was conducted with meat distributors (n=230), pre-school children (n=108), officers (n=66), respectively. To confirm the MRSA, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the S. aureus specific gene and mecA gene was performed. A total of 34 (8.4%) MRSA isolates was isolated from 404 nasal swab samples: 6.1% (14/230) from meat distributors, 16.7% (18/108) from pre-school children, and 3.0% (2/66) from officers samples, respectively. The most prevalent antimicrobial resistance observed in the MRSA isolates was to ampicillin 100% (34/34), followed by penicillin 97.1% (33/34), oxacillin 94.1% (32/34) and erythromycin 52.9% (18/34). All MRSA isolates were then characterized by panton-valentine leukocidin (pvl) gene detected by PCR, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) typing, and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) with Sma I digestion. 34 MRSA isolates from nasal carriage were pvl gene negative, SCCmec type IV; 73.5% (25/34), type II; 17.6% (6/34), type III; 2.9% (1/34), and untypable; 5.9% (2/34), respectively. 34 MRSA isolates showed 16 PFGE patterns. These results indicated that isolation rates of community-associated methicillin-resistant S. aureus (CA-MRSA) from healthy persons were low (8.4%), but continuous surveillance and monitoring should be performed to prevent the spread of MRSA in the community.
Adenosine ; Ampicillin ; Bacterial Toxins ; Child ; Digestion ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Erythromycin ; Exotoxins ; Humans ; Korea ; Leukocidins ; Meat ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Oxacillin ; Penicillins ; Polymerase Chain Reaction

A) Bacteriological study and sensitivity test against antimicrobial agents were made on 126 cases of infantile and childhood shigellosis treated at pediatric epartment of St. Vincent hospital from April, 78 to September, 80. The results are follows: 1. Sh. flexneri was most frequently isolated(86.5%) and the next was Sh. sonnei(13.5%). 2. The percentage of resistant strains against antimicrobial agents. Ampicillin: 95.2% Carbenicillin : 90.5% Cephalothin: 78.6% Choloramphenicol: 95.2% Gentamicin: 20.6% Kanamycin: 23.8% Lincomycin: 100% Methicillin: 100% B) The effect of rifampin on bacteriological cure and clinical course in group B shigellosis of sixty-four hospitalized children from one year to five years old age were compared with other antibiotics. gentamicin, ampicillin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Based on our study, rifampin was most effective drug in curing of clinical symptoms of shigellosis and eradicating the organisms from stool, and gentamicin was similar effect. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole twas less effective than rifampin and gentamicin, but more effective than ampicillin which has no appreciable effect on the course of shigellosis.
Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Anti-Infective Agents* ; Carbenicillin ; Cephalothin ; Child ; Child, Hospitalized ; Dysentery, Bacillary* ; Gentamicins ; Humans ; Kanamycin ; Lincomycin ; Methicillin ; Rifampin* ; Trimethoprim, Sulfamethoxazole Drug Combination

PURPOSE: Our study was designed to evaluate the prevalence of secondary skin infection in patients with atopic dermatitis and their sensitivity to antibiotics for appropriate choice of antibiotics. METHODS: We studied skin culture and their sensitivity results for 218 patients who visited to pediatric allergy clinic from June 2003 to August 2004. After determining minimal inhibitory concentrations(MICs) of antibiotics from randomly selected 40 cases of them, we compared the result with previous data. RESULTS: Age distribution was as follows; 28 cases(12.8%) were under 1 year old, 64 cases(29.4%) were 1 to 3 years old, 63 cases(28.9%) were 4 to 6 years old, and 63 cases (28.9%) were over 7 years old. 121 cases(55.5%) of 218 cases were found to have secondary skin infection. The most common organism was Staphylococcus aureus(S. aureus; 85 cases, 70.2%). The next was Staphylococcus epidermides(S. epidermidis; 22 cases, 18.2%). S. aureus were highly resistant to ampicillin and penicillin, but were relatively highly sensitive to 1st and 2nd generation cephalosporin, gentamicin, and erythromycin. To teicoplanin and vancomycin, they were entirely sensitive. On the other hand, S. epidermidis was highly resistant to 1st generation cephalosporin in addition to ampicillin and penicillin. Moreover, alpha- and beta-hemolytic streptococcus, which were co-infected with S. aureus, showed highly resistance to ampicillin, oxacillin and cephalosporin. In MIC test, methicillin-resistant S. aureus were found in 4 cases. CONCLUSION: Skin culture, sensitivity test and the appropriate choice of antibiotics might be important to control secondary skin infection and atopic dermatitis.
Age Distribution ; Ampicillin ; Anti-Bacterial Agents* ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatitis, Atopic* ; Erythromycin ; Gentamicins ; Hand ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity ; Methicillin Resistance ; Oxacillin ; Penicillins ; Prevalence ; Skin* ; Staphylococcus ; Staphylococcus aureus ; Streptococcus ; Teicoplanin ; Vancomycin

Changes in udder health and antibiotic resistance of mastitis pathogens isolated from dairies upon conversion from conventional to organic management over a 3-year period was studied. Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) were the most prevalent mastitis pathogens isolated. CNS were significantly less resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics when isolated from milk after the herd transitioned to organic management. Cessation of the use of antimicrobial therapies in dairies in combination with organic management could lead to a reduction in the antimicrobial resistance of mastitis pathogens.
Ampicillin/pharmacology ; Animals ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/pharmacology ; Cattle ; Cephalothin/pharmacology ; Cloxacillin/pharmacology ; Drug Resistance, Microbial ; Female ; Lactation ; Mastitis, Bovine/*microbiology ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Organic Agriculture ; Penicillins/pharmacology ; Prevalence ; Staphylococcal Infections/microbiology/*veterinary ; Staphylococcus/*drug effects/*isolation & purification

BACKGROUNDIncreasing prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), particularly methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) has been reported in China. In this study, we investigated the drug resistance characteristic, genetic background, and molecular epidemiological characteristic of S. aureus in Changsha.

METHODSBetween January 2006 and December 2008, 293 clinical isolates of S. aureus were collected from 11 hospitals in Changsha and identified by the Vitek-2 system. All the isolates were verified as MRSA by PCR amplification of both femA and mecA genes. K-B disk method was used to test drug sensitivity of S. aureus to antibiotics. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed for genotypic and homologous analysis of 115 isolates randomly selected from the original 293 clinical S. aureus isolates.

RESULTSS. aureus was highly resistant to penicillin, ampicillin, erythromycin, and clindamycin with resistant rates of 96.6%, 96.6%, 77.1%, and 67.2% respectively. All the isolates were susceptible to tecoplanin, vancomycin, and linezolid. MRSA accounted for 64.8% (190/293) of all the S. aureus strains. The 115 S. aureus isolates were clustered into 39 PFGE types by PFGE typing, with 13 predominant patterns (designated types A to M) accounting for 89 isolates. The most prevalent PFGE type was type A (n = 56, 48.7%) and 100.0% of type A strains were MRSA. PFGE type A included 13 subtypes, and the most prevalent subtype was subtype A1 (46.4%, 26/56). Strains with PFGE type A were isolated from eight hospitals (8/11), and both subtypes A1 and A4 strains were isolated in a university hospital.

CONCLUSIONSClinical isolates of S. aureus in Changsha were resistant to multiple traditional antibiotics. There was an outbreak of PFGE type A MRSA in this area and the A1 subtype was the predominant epidemic clone. Dissemination of the same clone was an important reason for the wide spread of MRSA.

Ampicillin ; pharmacology ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; pharmacology ; China ; Clindamycin ; pharmacology ; Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field ; Erythromycin ; pharmacology ; Humans ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Microbial Sensitivity Tests ; Penicillins ; pharmacology ; Staphylococcus aureus ; drug effects ; genetics ; Vancomycin ; metabolism