The in vitro activities of cefoxitin, ampicillin/sulbactam, and imipenem were determined by the standard twofold agar dilution method against 62 strains of Escherichia coli and 40 strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from patients in intensive care units. Judging from the concentrations required to inhibit at least 90% of the test isolates, imipenem (MIC90 less than or equal to 0.125 micrograms/ml) was markedly more active than cefoxitin (MIC90 = 4 micrograms/ml) and ampicillin/sulbactam (MIC90 = 32 micrograms/ml) against both bacterial genera. Cefoxitin, therefore, was more active than ampicillin/sulbactam against these organisms. Breakpoints specified in the prescribing information are less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml for imipenem, less than or equal to 16 micrograms/ml for cefoxitin, and less than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml for ampicillin/sulbactam. At these breakpoints all organisms were susceptible to imipenem and cefoxitin, while 73% of E coli and 78% of K pneumoniae were susceptible to ampicillin/sulbactam. At recommended susceptible MIC breakpoints of the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml for imipenem, less than or equal to 8 micrograms/ml for cefoxitin, and less than or equal to 4 micrograms/ml for ampicillin/sulbactam) all the isolates tested were susceptible to imipenem, while 98% and 73% of the E coli isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin and ampicillin/sulbactam, respectively, and 100% and 78% of the K pneumoniae isolates were susceptible to cefoxitin and ampicillin/sulbactam, respectively. Approximately 14% of E coli and 17% of K pneumoniae isolates were resistant to ampicillin/sulbactam (MIC greater than or equal to 32/16 micrograms/ml).