Organism susceptibility to antibacterials: penicillins

The following table provides a guide to clinical antibacterial susceptibilities. The table is not intended to supplant management
advice from clinical microbiologists or infectious diseases specialists but rather to assist empirical selection of antibacterials in the
absence of laboratory confirmation of susceptibility. Data should be considered with knowledge of local susceptibility patterns.
The designation of susceptibility used in the table is 75%. Thus in most situations, 3 out of 4 patients with infections caused by
listed pathogens can be expected to respond. Conversely, up to 1 in 4 patients may require alternative treatment due to
antibacterial resistance. When in doubt seek specialist advice.

Penicillins

ticarcillin with
clavulanic acid

piperacillin with
tazobactam

amoxycillin with
clavulanic acid

amoxycillin,
ampicillin

Broad spectrum

flucloxacillin,
dicloxacillin

phenoxymethylpenicillin

Organism

procaine penicillin

benzylpenicillin

Narrow spectrum

Gram-negative
Acinetobacter spp.
Aeromonas spp.
Burkholderia cepacia
Burkholderia pseudomallei
Campylobacter jejuni and coli
Citrobacter freundii
Escherichia coli
Enterobacter spp.
Haemophilus influenzae
Klebsiella spp.
Moraxella catarrhalis
Morganella spp.
Neisseria gonorrhoeae

Neisseria meningitidis
Pasteurella multocida
Proteus mirabilis
Proteus vulgaris
Providencia spp.
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Salmonella spp.
Serratia spp.
Shigella spp.
Stenotrophomonas maltophilia
Yersinia spp.
1
2
3
4

not recommended unless susceptibility confirmed as resistant strains now common in many areas
must be used with synergistic agent such as gentamicin for serious infections
MRSA: implies resistance to all beta-lactams
includes Staphylococcus epidermidis

Legend
sensitive
resistant
no data available or antibacterial not recommended

AMH 2014

www.amh.net.au

Penicillins

ticarcillin with
clavulanic acid

piperacillin with
tazobactam

amoxycillin with
clavulanic acid

amoxycillin,
ampicillin

Broad spectrum

flucloxacillin,
dicloxacillin

phenoxymethylpenicillin

Organism

procaine penicillin

benzylpenicillin

Narrow spectrum

Gram-positive
Corynebacterium jeikeium
Enterococcus faecalis

Enterococcus faecium
Listeria spp.
Staphylococcus aureus
Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)3
Staphylococcus saprophyticus
Coagulase-negative
staphylococci4
Streptococcus - group A, B, C, G
Streptococcus milleri group
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Viridans streptococcus group

Anaerobes
Actinomyces
Bacteroides fragilis group
Clostridium perfringens
Clostridium difficile
Fusobacteria spp.
Peptostreptococcus spp.
Prevotella melaninogenica
Propionibacterium

Miscellaneous
Chlamydophila, Chlamydia spp.
Legionella spp.
Mycobacterium avium complex
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
Nocardia spp.
1
2
3
4

not recommended unless susceptibility confirmed as resistant strains now common in many areas
must be used with synergistic agent such as gentamicin for serious infections
MRSA: implies resistance to all beta-lactams
includes Staphylococcus epidermidis

Legend
sensitive
resistant
no data available or antibacterial not recommended

www.amh.net.au

AMH 2014