%0 Journal Article %T Sensitivity pattern of gram negative bacilli to three ¦Â-lactam/¦Â-lactamase inhibitor combinations using the automated API system %A Anuradha K %A Sailaja V %A Umabala P %A Satheesh T %J Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology %D 2007 %I Medknow Publications %X Purpose : To evaluate the spectrum of activity of three ¦Â-lactamase inhibitors such as amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid, ticarcillin/ clavulanic acid and piperacillin/ tazobactam in comparison to cephalosporins against gram negative bacilli. Methods : Gram-negative bacilli isolated from the clinical specimens received in the laboratory were included in the study. Using the API system (bioM¦Érieux) during a one-year period, a total of 1,252 Enterobacteriaceae and 385 non-fermenters were evaluated. Results : The percentage resistance of the Enterobacteriaceae isolates was 82.92% to amoxicillin/ clavulanic acid, 58.22% to ticarcillin/clavulanic acid and 22.44% to piperacillin/tazobactam respectively. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed resistance of 96% to ticarcillin/ clavulanic acid and 61% to piperacillin/ tazobactam and Acinetobacter baumannii showed 49% resistance to ticarcillin/ clavulanic acid and 77% resistance to piperacillin/ tazobactam respectively. The isolates exhibited high resistance to all the generations of cephalosporins and the other groups of antibiotics except carbapenems. Conclusions : Piperacillin/tazobactam was found to be the most active combination of the three against Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp. and ticarcillin/clavulanic acid against Acinetobacter spp. and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia . %K API %K ¦Â-lactamase inhibitors %K gram negative bacteria %K sensitivity %U http://www.ijmm.org/article.asp?issn=0255-0857;year=2007;volume=25;issue=3;spage=203;epage=208;aulast=Anuradha