Combining Polymyxin B with Other Antibiotics Against Drug-Resistant Bacteria
Author Information
Author(s): David W Wareham, David C Bean
Primary Institution: Centre for Infectious Disease, Institute of Cell and Molecular Science, Barts and The London, Queen Mary's School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, UK
Hypothesis
Are combinations of polymyxin B with imipenem, rifampicin, or azithromycin effective against multidrug-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii strains?
Conclusion
Polymyxin B combined with imipenem, rifampicin, or azithromycin does not reliably show synergy against prevalent multidrug-resistant strains of Acinetobacter baumannii in the UK.
Supporting Evidence
- All tested strains were resistant to multiple antibiotics but susceptible to polymyxins.
- Borderline synergy was observed with one strain using the Etest-agar dilution method.
- The study suggests that combination therapy should be evaluated in clinical trials.
Takeaway
The study tested if mixing a strong antibiotic called polymyxin B with other antibiotics could help fight tough bacteria, but it didn't work well.
Methodology
Synergy testing was performed using Etest methods against five strains of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii.
Limitations
The study did not demonstrate reliable synergy for the prevalent strains, which limits the applicability of the findings.
Participant Demographics
Five strains of multidrug-resistant A. baumannii encoding OXA-23 carbapenemases.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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