ABSTRACT
From November 1998 to February 2000, a total of 91 strains of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from blood were analyzed for their susceptibility to 11 antimicrobial agents using the E-test method. Fifty-two isolates were methicillin-susceptible (MSSA) and 39 were oxacillin-resistant (MRSA). All the MSSA were susceptible to gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, vancomycin, teicoplanin, rifampicin, fusidic acid, quinupristin-dalfopristin and linezolid; 90% were susceptible to erythromycin and 83% to mupirocin. All the MRSA were susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, rifampicin and linezolid; 95% were susceptible to quinupristin-dalfopristin; and 92% to gentamicin, mupirocin, fusidic acid. None of the MRSA were susceptible to erythromycin or ciprofloxacin. The susceptibility of SARM to erythromycin and ciprofloxacin was low, while the susceptibility to the rest of the antimicrobial agents remained active.