Differences in drug susceptibility between isolates of Pseudomonas cepacia recovered from patients with cystic fibrosis and other sources and its relationship to beta-lactamase focusing pattern.

Pseudomonas cepacia, a significant pulmonary pathogen among children with cystic fibrosis (CF), often possesses an inducible beta-lactamase. The beta-lactamase isoelectric focusing pattern and beta-lactam susceptibility of CF and non-CF isolates of P. cepacia were compared. Against all of the test strains, ceftazidime and piperacillin were more effective than aztreonam. More CF isolates were resistant to 8 micrograms/ml of ceftazidime than non-CF isolates. Isoelectric focusing of cefoxitin-induced, cell-free preparations of the CF isolates produced significantly more bands than comparable preparations of non-CF isolates. Organisms producing a beta-lactamase band that focused in the pH range of 8.5 to 8.7 were significantly more resistant to 8 micrograms/ml of ceftazidime than other isolates. The increased resistance of CF isolates of P. cepacia to ceftazidime may be the result of the production of a specific bacterial beta-lactamase.