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Journal of Clinical Microbiology logoLink to Journal of Clinical Microbiology
. 1995 May;33(5):1428–1430. doi: 10.1128/jcm.33.5.1428-1430.1995

Comparison of E test and agar dilution for antimicrobial susceptibility testing of Stenotrophomonas (Xanthomonas) maltophilia.

J D Yao 1, M Louie 1, L Louie 1, J Goodfellow 1, A E Simor 1
PMCID: PMC228187  PMID: 7615774

Abstract

Currently recommended dilution test methods for the determination of antimicrobial susceptibility of Stenotrophomonas (Xanthomonas) maltophilia are labor-intensive and often impractical in many clinical laboratories. We compared the E test with the agar dilution method for susceptibility testing of 176 clinical isolates of S. maltophilia against 16 antimicrobial agents. The MICs obtained by E test correlated well with those determined by the agar dilution method, with an overall agreement of 94%. Very major and major errors occurred infrequently (0.6 to 2.9%) when testing beta-lactam agents, tobramycin, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, and fluoroquinolones. The E test was found to be accurate and easy to perform. For most antimicrobial agents tested against S. maltophilia, the E test is an acceptable alternative susceptibility test method.

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Selected References

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