Antibiotic sensitivity testing of anaerobes

Abstract

Most of the methods devised for testing the antibiotic susceptibility of aerobes have been applied to anaerobes. In addition to the problems intrinsic to these methods, additional difficulties arise from anaerobiosis itself, from variability of carbon dioxide concentrations and pH, from problems in preparation and definition of inoculum, from the rich media required for growth by some fastidious anaerobes, and from the lack of suitable control microorganisms of known sensitivity. Among the procedures described, MIC determination on solid media is suitable for research and for use as a standard, and MIC in liquid media for routine use but disc tests are of limited usefulness. Changes in hitherto relatively stable patterns of susceptibility among anaerobes may well necessitate an increase of sensitivity testing in diagnostic laboratories.