Cross-resistance between methicillin and cephalosporins for staphylococci: a general assumption not true for cefamandole.

The antibacterial activity of cefamandole was evaluated against 120 methicillin-susceptible and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococcal strains, using both large (10(8) CFU per ml) and small (10(4) CFU per ml) inocula. Cefamandole appeared superior to cephalothin against methicillin-resistant strains, displaying at 10 micrograms/ml a bacteriostatic and for some strains a bactericidal action against a large inoculum of bacteria.