title: Antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive pathogens isolated in the UK between October 1996 and January 1997.
abstract: Antimicrobial resistance in gram-positive pathogens from 30 centres in the UK (ten Teaching, ten Associate Teaching and ten District General Hospitals) was studied over a 4 month period between October 1996 and January 1997. High-level resistance (HLR) and low-level resistance (LLR) to penicillin amongst pneumococci was 3.3% and 3.4%, respectively. However, considerable variation in resistance rates was observed depending on geographical location (LLR range 0-15.4% and HLR range 0-30.8%). Considerable variation in resistance rates was also observed for Staphylococcus aureus to methicillin, with rates ranging from 0% to 56.7% depending on locality. Using conventional MIC methodology, none of the isolates of S. aureus was considered as having reduced sensitivity to vancomycin. However, eight isolates grew on Brain Heart Infusion Agar containing vancomycin (4 mg/L) after prolonged incubation and are therefore worthy of further investigation by electron microscopy. With Enterococcus faecalis, resistance rates were similar between the three types of hospital and only four isolates were considered resistant to glycopeptide antibiotics (one vanA and three vanB phenotype).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology, City Hospital NHS Trust, Birmingham, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ashby
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jevons
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lines
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wise
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006761:Hospitals / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000187:drug effects; D006113:United Kingdom; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology; D014769:Virginiamycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014769:Virginiamycin; C113825:quinupristin; D014640:Vancomycin; C113826:dalfopristin