[Teicoplanin and vancomycin susceptibility in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci]

Members of the genera Staphylococcus are the most common pathogens found in the hospital environment and they are acquiring resistance to multiple drugs. PURPOSE--To evaluate the in vitro activity of teicoplanin and vancomycin against 195 strains of staphylococci isolated from in-patients. METHODS--One hundred strains of Staphylococcus aureus (50% methicillin-resistant) and 95 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci (46.3% strains methicillin-resistant) were tested by the agar dilution and the disk diffusion techniques. RESULTS--All strains (100%) were susceptible to vancomycin, S. aureus strains presented MIC90 of 0.5 microgram/mL whereas strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci showed MIC90 of 1.0 microgram/mL. For teicoplanin, 98.5% of the strains were susceptible. MIC90 values were 0.5 microgram/mL for S. aureus strains, 2.0 micrograms/mL for coagulase-negative methicillin-susceptible staphylococci strains and 8.0 micrograms/mL for coagulase-negative methicillin-resistant staphylococci strains. CONCLUSION--From the microbiological point of view, the results showed a high potential for both drugs as therapeutic agents in staphylococcal infections due to multiresistant strains of hospital origin.