The authors studied the in vitro antimicrobial activity of imipenem towards 355 gram-negative bacterial strains, taking into particular consideration unusual or dangerous species. The study was carried out on a comparative basis with piperacillin, cefotaxime, ceftazidime and gentamicin. Ninety percent of the fermentative gram-negative strains were inhibited at concentrations less than or equal to 2 mg/l. Imipenem inhibited 100% of strains of Alcaligenes faecalis, Alcaligenes denitrificans, Flavobacterium odoratum, Acinetobacter lwoffii, Acinetobacter anitratum, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas stutzeri and 90% of strains of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Pseudomonas putida. The excellent bactericidal activity of imipenem was indicated by its minimum bactericidal concentrations equal to or slightly greater than its minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC). As far as the other parameters were concerned (influence of the dimensions of inoculum and culture medium on MICs), imipenem confirmed its excellent in vitro microbiologic characteristics.