E-TEST FOR DETERMINING ANTIMICROBIAL SUSC EPTIBILITIES OF STAPHYLOCOCCI AND ENTEROCOCCI TO GLYCOPEPTIDES

E-test was evaluated by comparison with the reference agar dilution me thod. on 15 enterococcci and 15 staphylococci with variable resistance to glycopeptides and isolated from clinical samples: 15 enterococci w ith 3 glycopeptide-resistant (2 E. facalis and 1 E. faecium), 1 glycop eptide intermediate E. gallinarum and 11 glycopeptide-sensible E. faec alis; 15 staphylococci with 4 teicoplanine-resistant (1 S. aureus, 1 S . epidermidis and 2 S. hominis), 3 teicoplanin-intermediate (1 S. epid ermidis, 2 S. haemolyticus) and 8 teicoplanin sensible strains (6 S. a ureus, 1 S. epidermidis and 1 S. hominis). Repetability (10 determinat ions by strain) and exactitude were tested for all strains. Our data s hows very good results for repetability and exactitude with the refere nce method except in the case of coagulase negative staphylococci and teicoplanin. Some technical problems appear in our experience: for sta phylococci, a 48 h incubation is necessary to detect teicoplanin-inter mediate strains but 24 h is sufficient for enterococci. E-test is expe nsive, require a strict methodology, but is a good method to detect gl ycopeptide resistance for staphylococci and enterococci except for coa gulase negative staphylococci and teicoplanine.