In vitro antimicrobial activity of cefepime, amikacin and their fixed dose combination against some pathogenic bacteria

Cefepime hydrochloride is a parenteral “fourth” generation cephalosporin antibiotic. It has an expanded broad spectrum activity against gram-positive and gram-negative microbes as compared to the third generation cephalosporins. Amikacin is aminoglycoside class of antibiotic which plays an important role in the treatment of various infections. The objective of present study was to evaluate the effect of cefepime, amikacin alone and their fixed dose combination (FDC) against some pathogenic bacteria viz, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeurginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter clocae and Proteus mirabilis. Our findings showed that fixed dose combination therapy of cefepime plus amikacin was highly significant (p<0.001) increased zone of inhibition in Pseudomonas aeurginosa (42.1%), Staphylococcus aureus (32.3%), Klebsiella pneumoniae (27.1)%, as compared to cefepime and amikacin alone treatment. Proteus mirabilis (13.7%) and Enterobacter clocae (10.8%) were found less synergistically affected in comparison to other microorganisms. These results indicate that fixed dose combination therapy of cefepime and amikacin shows better antimicrobial activity and more synergistic effect against Pseudomonas aeruginosa as compared cefepime and amikacin alone.