Laboratory and clinical studies of loracarbef

We performed bacteriological and clinical evaluations of loracarbef (LCBF), a new oral carbacephem, in respiratory tract infections, with the following results. 1) Antimicrobial activity: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of LCBF were measured in 302 clinically isolated strains, and compared with those of cefaclor, cefotiam, cefixime, cefteram and amoxicillin, using the MIC-2000 system. LCBF had wide antimicrobial activity against clinically isolated strains except methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. 2) Clinical efficacy: LCBF, 200 mg X 3 (600 mg/day), was administered to 4 patients with chronic bronchitis, 5 with acute bronchitis, one with acute pharyngitis, 2 with acute tonsillitis and one with acute pneumonia. Clinical response was excellent in one patient, good in 9, fair in 2, and poor in one. Clinical efficacy was 77%. Three of 4 strains of Haemophilus influenzae were eradicated. One strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae and methicillin-susceptible S. aureus were eradicated. Two strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae and one strain of Moraxella catarrhalis were isolated as superinfections. One strain of P. aeruginosa was isolated as a causative organism, but was not eradicated. Side effects were not observed, but mildly abnormal laboratory findings were noted in one patient.