Comparative in vitro activity of ciprofloxacin against aerobic and anaerobic bacteria from clinical isolates

1-Cyclopropyl-6-fluoro-1,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7-piperazin-1- ylquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (ciprofloxacin, Bay o 9867, Ciprobay) is a broad spectrum antibiotic of the 4-quinolone group. It possesses a bactericidal effect attributable to the property of DNA-gyrase inhibition. The antimicrobial action comprises all grampositive strains (including Streptococcus faecalis) and gramnegative strains (including Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia spp.), as well as Bacteroides fragilis and other Bacteroides species. In this comparative study the antimicrobial effect of ciprofloxacin was tested against 665 gramnegative, 412 grampositive and 274 anaerobic strains from fresh clinical isolates and compared with that of other frequently used antibiotics. The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) were determined by means of a serial dilution test with micro standard plates. Within the group of gramnegative strains, ciprofloxacin was the most active antibiotic with an MIC90 of 0.12 mg/l to 0.5 mg/l for most isolates. Ciprofloxacin shows a broad spectrum of activity against gramnegative pathogenic bacteria including Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., Citrobacter spp., Enterobacter spp., Serratia spp. and Acinetobacter spp., and also covers resistant strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Alcaligenes faecalis. Ciprofloxacin also shows a high inhibiting activity against grampositive strains (Staphylococci, Enterococci) and anaerobic pathogens.