Abstract
Branhamella catarrhalis is the pathogenic organism in respiratory infection.
Some investigators have suggested that this originates from normal flora of the oral cavity.
A survey on possible pathogenic bacterias and their susceptibilities to antibiotics in collaboration with many institutes of oral surgery was made over the period from 1982 to 1988.
Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the penicillins, cephems, macrolides and new quinolones against the Branhamella catarrhalis isolated from closed abscess of odontogenic infections were determined, and in some strains β-lactamase production was examined.
The following results were obtained.
1) Forty-nine strains of Branhamella catarrhalis were isolated from the closed abscess of 863 patients with odontogenic infections during the past seven years.
2) In 7 of 49 cases (14.3%) of Branhamella catarrhalis were isolated as a single infection and in 42 cases (85.7%) it was associated with other organisms.
3) β-Lactamase producing strains had resistance to ABPC and AMPC.
CTRX, OFLX, CPFX, Lomefloxacine and T-3262 had high effectiveness against β-lactamase producing strains.
Branhamella catarrhalis is a pathogenic organism different from non-pathogenic Nisseria, and β-lactamase producing Branhamella catarrhalis, it has resistance to β-lactams. The important thing in the choice of antibiotics is to make sure of the existence of β-lactamase production when Branhamella catarrhalis is isolated.
