Comparative responses of Pseudomonas stutzeri and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to antibacterial agents.

The sensitivity of six strains of Pseudomonas stutzeri (NCIMB 568, 10783, 11358, 11359, JM 302, JM 375) to cationic antiseptics, mercury compounds, the parabens, phenolics, EDTA and various antibiotics was compared with Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIMB 8626. All Ps. stutzeri strains were highly sensitive to chlorhexidine diacetate, organomercurials and triclosan, but rather less so to quarternary ammonium compounds (QACs). They were also sensitive to other biocidal agents and more sensitive to many antibiotics than the strain of Ps. aeruginosa. There was little correlation between uptake of chlorhexidine diacetate or cetylpyridinium chloride by dense suspensions of organisms, leakage of intracellular constituents and loss of cell viability.