Enterococci: susceptibility patterns and therapeutic options

Enterococcal isolates are increasingly responsible for nosocomial infections in the last decade and they are recently cited as being the second most common pathogen isolated from hospitalized patients. Enterococcal infections can be localized at different sites: endocarditis, CNS, intrabdominal, pelvic. The epidemiological trend may be a consequence of predisposing risk factors due to hospitalization such as instrumentation, immunosuppression, long-term hospitalization. Nevertheless the most alarming aspect of the problem is the increasing detection of antibiotic resistance Enterococcal strains, especially the high level resistance (HLR) to aminoglycosides, penicillin and glycopeptides must not be underestimated. Optimal antibiotic regimes for the treatment of multiple resistant strains in severe enterococcal infections are not been defined yet and antibiotic association such as aminoglycosides + glycopeptides or glycopeptides + fluoroquinolones could be suggested.