title: Mature biofilms of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are highly resistant to antibiotics.
abstract: Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium are important nosocomial pathogens that form biofilms on implanted materials. We compare the antibiotic sensitivity of bacteria in new (established during 24 hours) and mature (established during 120 hours) enterococcal biofilms. Mature biofilms contained more bacteria and were much more tolerant to antibiotics, including rifampicin-containing combinations, as judged by determination of minimal biofilm eradication concentrations and by time-kill experiments of bacteria in biofilms formed on beads of bone cement.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Holmberg
authors.affiliation: Division of Infection Medicine, Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund University, Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: magnus.rasmussen@med.lu.se.
authors.forename: Magnus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018441:Biofilms / Q000187:drug effects*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D013293:Enterococcus faecalis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D016984:Enterococcus faecium / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Antibiotic susceptibility; Bacterial biofilm; Enterococcus faecalis; Enterococcus faecium; MBEC