Antimicrobial susceptibility of coagulase-negative staphylococci and characterization of isolates with reduced susceptibility to glycopeptides.

The antimicrobial susceptibility of 239 coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS) isolates consecutively collected from blood culture in patients admitted in a 600-bed teaching hospital was evaluated. The isolates were identified to the species level by conventional methods and the MicroScan Positive Combo Panel type 6 system, and their susceptibility to vancomycin, teicoplanin, and oxacillin were tested by agar dilution, disk diffusion, and MicroScan-WalkAway system. The species distribution was as follows: Staphylococcus epidermidis 120 (50.2%), S. hominis 29 (12.1%), S. haemolyticus 24 (10.0%), S. cohnii 14 (5.9%), and isolates from other CNS species 52 (21.8%). The percentage of resistance to oxacillin was 74.5% by agar dilution. The highest percentages of oxacillin resistance were found among S. haemolyticus (95.8%) and S. epidermidis (80.8%). Teicoplanin resistance (MIC > or = 32 micrograms/mL) was detected in five S. haemolyticus isolates, whereas intermediate resistance (MIC = 16 micrograms/mL) was detected in nine strains. These isolates with reduced susceptibility to teicoplanin were resistant to oxacillin, but remained susceptible to vancomycin (MIC < or = 4 micrograms/mL). Two isolates, one S. haemolyticus and one S. epidermidis, showed a vancomycin MIC of 8 micrograms/mL, and both MicroScan and disk diffusion methods classified these isolates as susceptible. Our results showed that glycopeptide resistance is emerging among CNS isolates in our institution and the disk diffusion method may not detect isolates with decreased susceptibility to these antimicrobial agents.

Avaliaçäo da sensibilidade in vitro de 446 amostras clínicas de bactérias gram-positivas testadas para novos antimicrobianos da classe das quinolonas, carbapenens e cefalosporinas / In vitro susceptibility testing of 446 clinical isolates of gram-positive bacteria against new quinolones, carbapenems and cephalosporins

Objetivo. Avaliar a sensibilidade in vitro de amostras clínicas de bactérias gram-positivas, hospitalares contra cinco fluoroquinolonas, três carbapenens e três cefalosporinas. Material e Método. Foram analisadas 67 amostras de estreptococos, 38 de enterococos, 250 de S. aureus e 91 de S. epidermidis. As amostras foram isoladas no Hospital Sao Paulo durante os meses de junho e julho de 1992. Os valores de concentraçao inibitória mínima (MIC) foram determinados por microdiluiçao em caldo seguindo a padronizaçao do National Commitee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Os antimicrobianos testados foram: ciprofloxacina, ofloxacina, levofloxacina, grepafloxacina, DU-6859, imipenem, meropenem, biapenem, ceftazidima, cefepime e FK-037. Resultados. As novas fluoroquinolonas, especialmente o DU-6859, foram os antimicrobianos que demonstraram maior atividade contra as bactérias testadas. Entre as drogas disponíveis comercialmente, as fluoroquinolonas ciprofloxacina e ofloxacina (81 por cento de sensibilidade) e o carbapenem imipenem (74 por cento de sensibilidade) foram as mais ativas. Os enterococos e os estafilococos resistentes à oxacilina foram as bactérias que demonstraram maior resistência antimicrobiana. Conclusao. Os resultados do presente estudo mostraram que os novos carbapenens apresentam potência semelhante àquela apresentada pelo imipenem, enquanto que as cefalosporina de quarta geraçao apresentam atividade superior àquela mostrada pela ceftazidima. Por outro lado, as novas fluoroquinolonas demonstraram espectro e potência superiores às fluoroquinolonas disponíveis comercialmente, especialmente contra enterococos e estafilococos resistentes à oxacilina e à ciprofloxacina, indicando que essas novas drogas merecem ser avaliadas em ensaios clínicos.

[In vitro susceptibility testing of 446 clinical isolates of gram-positive bacteria to new quinolones, carbapenems and cephalosporins]. / Avaliação da sensibilidade in vitro de 446 amostras clínicas de bactérias gram-positivas testadas para novos antimicrobianos da classe das quinolonas, carbapenens e cefalosporinas.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the in vitro susceptibility of gram-positive bacteria isolated in the São Paulo Hospital against five fluoroquinolones, three carbapenems and three cephalosporins. MATERIALS AND METHOD: Susceptibility was tested in 77 isolates of streptococci, 38 enterococci, 25 S. aureus and 91 S. epidermidis. The strains were isolated in the São Paulo Hospital in June and July of 1992. The susceptibility testing was performed by broth microdilution according to the procedure described by the national committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). The antimicrobial agents tested were: ciprofloxacin, ofloxacin, levofloxacin, grepafloxacin (formerly OPC 17116), DU-6859, imipenem, meropenem, biapenem, ceftazidime, cefepime and FK-037. RESULTS: The best in vitro activity was demonstrated by the new fluoroquinolones, especially DU 6859. Among the commercially available compounds, the fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin (81% susceptibility) and the carbapenem imipenem (74% susceptible) were the most active compounds. The highest resistance rates were shown by enterococci and oxacillin-resistant staphylococci. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present study showed that the in vitro activities of the new carbapenems are similar to that of imipenem and the fourth generation cephalosporins are more active than ceftazidime against gram-positive bacteria. In addition, the newer fluoroquinolones were four to sixteen-fold more active than that showed by the commercially available compounds of this class, especially against enterococci and oxacillin-resistant staphylococci. These results indicate that these newer fluoroquinolones should be further evaluated in clinical trials.