Role of azithromycin against clinical isolates of family enterobacteriaceae: A comparison of its minimum inhibitory concentration
Aim: To determine the effect of Azithromycin, a new azalide antibiotic, on clinical isolates of the family Enterobacteriaaceae and to determine and compare its minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC).
Antimicrobial agents are commonly used therapeutically and prophylactically for travelers' diarrhea. Resistance of enteric pathogens to these agents may prevent the success of such therapy, with the result depending upon the level of resistance and the drug concentrations achieved in the gastrointestinal tract. Data from a number of geographic locations were collected in order to determine whether consistent trends exist and whether predictions can be made regarding the susceptibility of various enteric pathogens worldwide.
One of the major limitations to successful antimicrobial therapy of enteric bacterial pathogens has been the progressive emergence of resistance to these drugs, particularly in the developing countries. [1] With a marked increase in antibiotic resistance among enteric bacterial pathogens, it has become imperative to find alternative effective antimicrobial agents. Among the oral antimicrobial agents, the fluoroquinolones and the broad-spectrum cephalosporins are the only groups whose efficacy against enteric pathogens of the family Enterobacteriaceae has not yet been compromised by acquired resistance. However, the fluoroquinolones are not yet recommended for use in paediatric patients because of articular damage caused by these drugs and the broad-spectrum cephalosporins because they are quite expensive and likely to induce TEM-like β lactamases, which can hydrolyze the broad-spectrum cephalosporins.[2]

Erythromycin is an old antibiotic that has been used to prevent infections caused by gram -ve enteric pathogens.