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Microbiology: Cefuroxime (as axetil) owes its in vivo bactericidal activity to the parent compound, cefuroxime. It is a well-characterized and effective antibacterial agent which has bactericidal activity against a wide range of common pathogens, including β-lactamase-producing strains.
Cefuroxime has good stability to bacterial β-lactamase and consequently is active against many ampicillin-resistant or amoxicillin-resistant strains.
The bactericidal action of cefuroxime results from inhibition of cell-wall synthesis by binding to essential target proteins.
Gram-Negative Aerobes:
Haemophilus influenzae (including ampicillin-resistant strains), Haemophilus parainfluenzae, Moraxella (Branhamella) catarrhalis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae (including penicillinase- and non-penicillinase-producing strains), Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp, Proteus mirabilis, Providencia spp, Proteus rettgeri.
Gram-Positive Aerobes:
Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis (including penicillinase-producing strains but excluding methicillin-resistant strains), Streptococcus pyogenes (and other β-hemolytic streptococci), Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus group B (Streptococcus agalactiae).
Anaerobes: Gram-positive and gram-negative cocci (including Peptococcus and Peptostreptococcus spp), gram-positive bacilli (including Clostridium species) and gram-negative bacilli (including Bacteroides and Fusobacterium spp), Propionibacterium spp.
Other Organisms: Borrelia burgdorferi.
The following organisms are not susceptible to cefuroxime:
Clostridium difficile, Pseudomonas spp, Campylobacter spp, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Listeria monocytogenes, methicillin-resistant strains of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis and Legionella spp.
Some strains of the following genera are not susceptible to cefuroxime:
Enterococcus (Streptococcus) faecalis, Morganella morganii, Proteus vulgaris; Enterobacter spp., Citrobacter spp. and Serratia spp., Bacteroides fragilis.
