No abstract

The in vitro antibacterial effects of cefoxitin, a semisynthetic cephamycin, cefuroxime, a new cephalosporin antibiotic, and cephaloridine were compared. With gram-positive bacteria, marked differences were found only in the effects against Streptococcus faecalis, where cephaloridine and cefuroxime were superior to cefoxitin. With gram-negative aerobic bacteria, cefoxitin, which is known to be more resistant to beta-lactamases from gram-negative bacteria than any cephalosporin, was found to be more effective than cefuroxime and cephaloridine against ampicillin-resistant strains of Escherichia coli and indole-positive strains of Proteus. Haemophilus influenzae was found to be more susceptible to cefuroxime than to cefoxitin and cephaloridine. When ampicillin-resistant strains of H. influenzae were tested, markedly higher minimal inhibitory concentration values were obtained with cephaloridine in comparison to those obtained with ampicillin-susceptible strains. These increases in the minimal inhibitory concentration values were not observed with cefoxitin and cefuroxime, probably due to the resistance of these two compounds to beta-lactamases. Strains ofBacteroides fragilis were found to be much more susceptible to cefoxitin than to cefuroxime, which in turn was superior to cephaloridine. The results obtained indicate that cefoxitin and cefuroxime both are superior in their antibacterial spectra to the cephalosporins that are now in clinical use.

No abstract

A case of systemic infection caused by Aspergillus fumigatus in a seven-year-old boy suffering from chronic granulomatous disease is described. The fungus had infiltrated his lungs, his left foot and the popliteal and inguinal lymph nodes. Amphotericin B, 1 mg/kg daily, was given for three months via a central venous catheter, Progressive anaemia made amputation of his left leg necessary. The bone tissue was heavily infiltrated with fungal elements. The regional lymph nodes were also resected because of fungal growth. After six months no fungi were found in liver aspirates taken on account of liver abscesses due to Staphylococcus aureus. The combined medical and surgical approach resulted in complete eradication of the Aspergillus infection, as verified by the disappearance of Aspergillus precipitins.