Comparative in vitro activity of linezolid and five other antimicrobials against nosocomial isolates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium.
The activity of linezolid in comparison to vancomycin, teicoplanin, oxacillin, clindamycin and gentamicin was tested against 60 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, 60 strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from patients with nosocomial infections and 24 strains of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated from feces of hospitalized patients. Minimum Inhibitory Concentrations (MICs) were determined by the Epsilometer test method. All tested strains were sensitive to linezolid and specifically all methicillin-resistant S. aureus had MIC range 0.25-3.00, MIC50 = 0.75, MIC90 = 1.5, all methicillin-resistant S. epidermidis had MIC range 0.125-1.5, MIC50 = 0.5, MIC90 = 1 and all vancomycin-resistant E. faecium had MIC range 0.5-1.5, MIC50 = 1, MIC90 = 1. Linezolid is the first of a novel antimicrobial class, the oxazolidinones, which is a promising treatment for serious Gram-positive infections, including multiresistant strains.
Metallidis
S
S
1st Internal Medicine Department, Infectious Diseases Division, AHEPA University Hospital, Thessaloniki, Greece. metasim@med.auth.gr
Chatzidimitriou
M
M
Nikolaidis
P
P
Tsona
A
A
Bisiklis
A
A
Kollaras
P
P
Tsiakiri
E
E
Koumentaki
E
E
Alexiou-Daniel
S
S
D000081:Acetamides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003428:Cross Infection; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D000069349:Linezolid; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D013212:Staphylococcus epidermidis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D020713:Vancomycin Resistance
D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D000069349:Linezolid