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In vitro susceptibility of Staphylococci and Enterococci to vancomycin and teicoplanin

A Guzek1, K Korzeniewski, Aneta Nitsch-Osuch

  • 1Department of Medical Diagnostics, Military Institute of Medicine, Warsaw, Poland.

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|July 10, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a global concern. This study found methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococci remain susceptible to vancomycin and teicoplanin, confirming current treatment guidelines.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Antimicrobial Resistance

Background:

  • Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) are a significant global health issue, particularly in intensive care, hematology-oncology, and surgical units.
  • Staphylococci (both coagulase-positive and coagulase-negative) and Enterococci are key pathogens in HAIs, with increasing concern over methicillin resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the therapeutic minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) values for vancomycin and teicoplanin against common bacterial strains causing HAIs.
  • To evaluate the susceptibility of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Enterococci to vancomycin and teicoplanin.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of 200 bacterial strains from patients in Intensive Care, Musculoskeletal Infections, and Surgical Clinics.
  • Antimicrobial susceptibility testing using Etest® gradient strips according to European Committee for Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) criteria.

Main Results:

  • Full susceptibility of MSSA, MRSA, and Enterococci to both vancomycin and teicoplanin was demonstrated.
  • Coagulase-negative Staphylococci exhibited higher sensitivity to vancomycin.
  • Teicoplanin showed lower MIC values than vancomycin for Enterococci strains, while vancomycin had lower MICs for coagulase-negative Staphylococci.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms the efficacy of vancomycin and teicoplanin for treating infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria, including MRSA and Enterococci.
  • Emphasizes the continued importance of determining MIC values for guiding antibiotic therapy.

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