RESISTANCE TO AMINO GLYCOSIDES AND OTHER ANTIBIOTICS AMONG CLINICAL ISOLATES OF ENTEROCOCCUS SPP

We conducted a study on 81 clinical isolates of enterococci (65 Entero coccus faecalis and 16 Enterococcus faecium) collected consecutively o ver a one year period at our University Hospital. Of them, 10 (15%) En terococcus faecalis and 6 (38%) Enterococcus faecium showed high level resistance to aminoglycosides, were all acquired in surgical units an d in five cases they were responsible for invasive infections. Ampicil lin and imipenem were active only against Enterococcus faecalis. Vanco mycin and teicoplanin were bacteriostatic; however, teicoplanin MICs w ere lower and in 45% of cases its MBC values were within clinically ac hievable serum concentrations. Ciprofloxacin and cotrimoxazole were ac tive in vitro.