Current and new antimicrobial agents.
BACKGROUND
Infections may complicate cardiovascular surgery or may require surgery as an adjunct to successful treatment. Staphylococci, which are among the major pathogenic bacteria causing such infections, can be resistant to many of the older antibiotics.


METHODS
The properties of several newer antimicrobial agents, recently approved or still investigational, were reviewed, with an emphasis on in vitro activities against staphylococci.


RESULTS
The 2 approved agents, linezolid and quinupristin-dalfopristin, and several investigational agents being developed demonstrate in vitro antimicrobial activity against staphylococci. Three of these agents, daptomycin, which was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in September 2003, and oritavancin and dalbavancin, which are in advanced stages of clinical development, are discussed.


CONCLUSIONS
Although clinical studies are required, the in vitro anti-staphylococcal activities of several agents suggest that these antimicrobial agents might be useful options for some infections in patients who are intolerant of older antibiotics or who are infected with organisms that are resistant to older agents.
Eliopoulos
George M
GM
Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02215, USA. geliopou@caregroup.harvard.edu
D000081:Acetamides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017576:Daptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D006020:Glycopeptides / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D000069349:Linezolid; D000077427:Lipoglycopeptides; D016106:Methicillin Resistance; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects; D017334:Teicoplanin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D014769:Virginiamycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives
D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D017576:Daptomycin; D006020:Glycopeptides; D000069349:Linezolid; D000077427:Lipoglycopeptides; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D017334:Teicoplanin; D014769:Virginiamycin; C062940:quinupristin-dalfopristin; C469289:dalbavancin; C100708:oritavancin; D014640:Vancomycin