[The influence of pivmecillinam on the human gut flora (author's transl)].

The effect of pivaloyloxymethyl ester of 6-beta-[(hexahydro-1H-azepin-1-yl)-methyleneamino]-penicillanic acid (pivmecillinam, FL 1039) on the gut flora of human subjects was investigated at different doses. Following administration of 1.2 g or 2.4 g/die E. coli and other enterobacteriaceae species were markedly reduced. The response of enterococci and bacteroides species showed no uniformity. No overgrowth of the gut flora by Pseudomonas, Staphylococci or Candida was observed. Meanwhile it has been possible to inspect stool specimens of a patient who was suffering from a septicaemic Salmonella infection and was treated with a combination of pivmecillinam-HCl 4 X 800 mg/pivampicillin-HCl 4 X 350 mg/die for one month. After disappearance of Salmonellae during therapy enterobacteriaceae decreased to amounts of 10(2)--10(4), all strains of which were highly susceptible to mecillinam.