FAILURE OF CEFOTAXIME IN THE TREATMENT OF MENINGITIS DUE TO RELATIVELY RESISTANT STREPTOCOCCUS-PNEUMONIAE

To our knowledge, we report the first failure of cefotaxime in the tre atment of meningitis due to relatively resistant Streptococcus pneumon iae (MICs of penicillin and cefotaxime, 1 mu g/mL). Cure was achieved with a 14-day course of intravenous and intrathecal vancomycin. We rec ommend that in cases of meningitis caused by strains of S. pneumoniae for which MICs are greater than or equal to 1 mu g/mL, cefotaxime shou ld be used with caution; however, if therapeutic failure is suspected therapy should be changed to intravenous and intrathecal vancomycin.