The incidence of serious, gram-positive bacterial infections has risen dramatically
in recent years, especially among the most vulnerable patient populations. At the
same time, many gram-positive species have become increasingly resistant to many classes
of antibiotics, leaving the glycopeptide antibiotics as the drugs of last resort.
Within the last decade, however, many enterococcal species have acquired high-level
resistance to vancomycin or teicoplanin.
1.
,
2.
In the past several years, there have been disturbing reports of low- and intermediate-level
resistance to vancomycin and teicoplanin in strains of both coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Staphylococcus aureus.3.
,
4.
,
5.
Laboratory studies have demonstrated that S. aureus strains resistant to vancomycin can be produced by a step-pressure procedure.
6.
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References
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Fagon JY and The Global Synercid NP Study Group. Randomized, comparative, multicenter, open study of quinupristin/dalfopristin plus aztreonam versus vancomycin plus aztreonam in the treatment of gram-positive nosocomial pneumonia. 20th International Congress of Chemotherapy, Sydney, Australia, June 29-July 3, 1997.
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© 1998 Excerpta Medica Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
