compared with orai cephalosporins, amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanate and levofloxacin against a randomly selected group of strains isolated from community-acquired respiratory tract infcctions (CARTIs). Cefditoren was thè only agent showing signifìcant bacterìcidai activity (>3 Iog10 reduction of viable cells) within 4 h against ali Streptococcus pneumoniae strains, both peniciUin-susceptible (PEN S) or -resistant (PEN R), as well as against Streptococcus pyogenes, and Moroxella catarrha/is. Against p-Iactamase positive strains of Haemophilus influenza e, cefditoren was comparable to thè quinolone and more active than other cephalosporins at 24 h. Cefditoren showed thè best killing kinetìc profìles and this observation may be important when choosing an orai third-generation cephalosporìn as initial or sequential therapy.