TEICOPLANINE ACTIVITY AGAINST COAGULASE-N EGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI IN THE DIFFERENT MEDICAL UNITS TO THE HOSPITAL HOTEL-DIEU IN PARIS

Teicoplanin, a glycopeptide antibiotic, is active against Staphylococc i, with the exception of some strains of coagulase negative Staphyloco cci (SCN). Determination of the in vitro activity of teicoplanine by s tandard disk methodology is not sufficient, and has to be confirmed by the determination of the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) for a ll strains presenting an inhibition zone diameter below 17 mm. We have studied during four months, the susceptibility of SCN to teicoplanine isolated from different units of the hospital, and in particular from the haematology unit (HU). 186 strains were isolated, 35 p. cent from HU and 65 p. cent from the other units of the hospital. All strains b elonged to 11 species : 136 S. epidermidis, 14 S. haemolyticus, 8 S. l ugdunensis, 5 S. warneri, 4 S. saprophyticus, 3 S. sciuri, 3 hominis, 2 S. chromogenes, 2 xylosus, 2 S. cohnii and 1 S. schleiferi. Twenty f ive strains out of 186 (13,4 %) presented a MIC of 8 or 16 mg/l (MIC v erified by the agar dilution method) : 7 S. haemolyticus, 16 S. epider midis, 1 S. warneri et 1 S. capitis. During this study SCN resistant t o teicoplanine were never isolated. Twelve out of 25 came from the HU, which correspond to 18 p. cent of the isolated strains in this unit. This result was not significantly different, compared to that of the o ther units.