Staphylococcus heterogeneously resistant to vancomycin in China and antimicrobial activities of imipenem and vancomycin in combination against it.
Of 115 methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus strains collected from sputum specimens, 34 strains reduced susceptibility to vancomycin, 9 of which emerged as heterogeneous vancomycin-resistant strains (hetero-VRS), with various degrees of vancomycin resistance at a frequency of 10(-6) or higher. Seventy-six percent (19 of 25) of non-hetero-VRS and 100% (9 of 9) of hetero-VRS were susceptible to synergistic treatment with vancomycin and imipenem. Clinical clearance between 9 hetero-VRS and 25 non-hetero-VRS had an obvious statistical significance (P = 0.001). The hetero-VRS may play an important role in vancomycin therapy failure.
Benquan
Wu
W
Department of Respiratory Medicine, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yatsen University of Medical Sciences, 510630 Guangzhou, People's Republic of China. wbenquan@public.guangzhou.gd.cn
Yingchun
Tang
T
Kouxing
Zhang
Z
Tiantuo
Zhang
Z
Jiaxing
Zhu
Z
Shuqing
Tan
T
D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015378:Imipenem / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D013210:Staphylococcus / Q000187:drug effects*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D014640:Vancomycin; D015378:Imipenem