Melioidosis is endemic in Malaysia. Emerging resistance with new and current antimicrobial agents has underscored the need to look further for new antimicrobial agents for the treatment of melioidosis. Hence, we evaluated the in-vitro susceptibility of fifty locally isolated strains of Burkholderia pseudomallei, the causative agent of melioidosis to cefoperazone-sulbactam combination using the method of NCCLS. All the fifty strains tested were susceptible in-vitro to cefoperazone-sulbactam. The MIC90 of the organism for cefoperazone-sulbactam was 4 mg/L. The results of our findings suggested that cefoperazone-sulbactam may be useful in the treatment of melioidosis.
Between January and August, 1989, 36 men and 28 women with uncomplicated lower genital tract infections by Neisseria gonorrhoeae were given single intramuscular injections of sulbactam (500 mg)/ampicillin (1000 mg) together with 1 g oral probenecid. Cure rates that were obtained were 100% for women, 97.2% for men, 100% for patients with penicillinase-producing Neisseria gonorrhoeae (PPNG), and 98.4% for patients with non-PPNG. No serious side effects were encountered, and patient acceptance of the drug was good. A high proportion of patients had concurrent chlamydial infection. Sulbactam/ampicillin was found to be effective against gonococcal urethritis and cervicitis by both PPNG and non-PPNG but have little effect on concomitant chlamydial infections, especially in women.
Acinetobacter infection, especially the drug-resistant strain, is a common cause of nosocomial infection. However, community-acquired Acinetobacter infection is uncommon. We reported three cases of community-acquired Acinetobacter pneumonia. All three cases had histories of regular home-brewed alcohol consumption presented with severe acute respiratory symptoms requiring ventilatory support and had low total white cell count. They succumbed to the illness within 2 to 10 days of admission. They had positive blood or endotracheal aspirate cultures of sensitive-strain Acinetobacter sp. which was only sensitive to high dose sulbactam. Early recognition and correct antibiotic can help reduce mortality.