Impact of Modified Nonmeningeal Streptococcus pneumoniae Interpretive Criteria (NCCLS M100-S12) on the Susceptibility Patterns of Five Parenteral Cephalosporins: Report from the SENTRY Antimicrobial Surveillance Program (1997 to 2001)

The revised interpretive criteria for Streptococcus pneumoniae recently published in the NCCLS M100-S12 informational supplement provide two sets of breakpoints for some cephalosporins: one set for meningeal infection isolates and a new set for nonmeningeal infection isolates. The net effect of these changes was to increase the reported rates of susceptibility of S. pneumoniae to the more active parenteral cephalosporins, such as cefepime, cefotaxime, and ceftriaxone, by 9.1 to 13.0%, bringing their in vitro rates much closer to those of amoxicillin (modified in an earlier NCCLS publication). These revised breakpoints will assist the rational prescribing of antimicrobial agents for the treatment of pneumococcal infections for specific types of infection and establish a greater correlation with clinical outcomes