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Proteus Infections in a General Hospital. I. Biochemical Characteristics and Antibiotic Susceptibility of the Organisms
With Special Reference to Proticine Typing and the Dienes Phenomenon
- JONATHAN L. ADLER, M.D.;
- JOHN P. BURKE, M.D.;
- DIANA FRANCE MARTIN, Ph.D.; and
- MAXWELL FINLAND, M.D., M.A.C.P.
Abstract
Biochemical characteristics, bacteriophage and bacteriocine typing, Dienes tests, and susceptibility to antibiotics were used to classify strains of Proteus mirabilis from 209 patients at Boston City Hospital, Boston, Mass. Three fourths of the strains could be classified into 10 major proticine types. Strains of proticine types 6 and 9 were the most closely related by Dienes tests and by their antibiotic resistance patterns. Gentamicin was uniformly active against strains of P. mirabilis, but approximately 15% were resistant to kanamycin. Carbenicillin was the most active of the penicillins; 20% of the strains were resistant to ampicillin. There was a marked inoculum effect with most of the antibiotics. Carbenicillin and gentamicin were equally active against P. mirabilis and against indole-positive strains of Proteus.
Article and Author Information
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▸From the Channing Laboratory, Thorndike Memorial Laboratory, Harvard Medical Unit, Boston City Hospital; and the Department of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Boston, Mass.; and the Public Health Laboratory Service, Central Cross-Infection Reference Laboratory, Colindale, London, England.
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Supported by grants 5ROI-AI-23 and 2TOI-AI-68, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Bethesda, Md. During this study Dr. Burke was Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer, Epidemiology Program, Center for Disease Control, U.S. Public Health Service.
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▸Requests for reprints should be addressed to Maxwell Finland, M.D., Boston City Hospital, Boston, Mass. 02118
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- Received April 23, 1971.
- Accepted July 14, 1971.
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