A MULTICENTER STUDY - STAPHYLOCOCCUS AND ENTEROCOCCUS SUSCEPTIBILITY TO ANTIBIOTICS

A multicentre study to evaluate the susceptibility of Gram-positive co cci isolated from clinical samples, was performed by six centres worki ng in different areas of Italy. We examined 4,544 strains of Staphyloc occus aureus, 4,381 strains of coagulase-negative staphylococci and 2, 478 strains of enterococci. The following antibiotics were tested: pen icillin G, ampicillin, amoxicillin, piperacillin, imipenem, oxacillin, ofloxacin, pefloxacin, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, tobramycin, amikaci n, netilmicin, rifampicin, clindamycin, tetracycline, cotrimoxazole, e rythromycin, chloramphenicol, vancomycin and teicoplanin. Oxacillin-su sceptible staphylococci confirmed their susceptibility to many other a ntimicrobial agents white oxacillin-resistant strains confirmed their multiple and frequent resistance to antibiotics. Resistance to oxacill in, cotrimoxazole and chloramphenicol was more frequent in coagulase-n egative staphylococci than in Staphylococcus aureus. Aminoglycosides, rifampicin and quinolones were more active against coagulase-negative staphylococci than against Staphylococcus aureus. Enterococci were sus ceptible to penicillins and imipenem, and moderately susceptible to ci profloxacin. Susceptibility of 70-79% was observed with high levels of aminoglycosides. Excellent results against staphylococci and enteroco cci were observed with vancomycin and teicoplanin.