Vancomycin

Vancomycin is a glycopeptide antibiotic that is active against staphylococc i, streptococci, and other gram-positive bacteria. It is the drug of choice for the treatment of infections due to methicillin-resistant staphylococci , Corynebacterium jeikeium, and multiply resistant strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae, Vancomycin is an alternative treatment for serious staphylococ cal and streptococcal infections, including endocarditis, when allergy prec ludes the use of penicillins and cephalosporins, It is bactericidal against most strains of staphylococci and nonenterococcal streptococci and is rare ly associated with serious toxicity, The recent emergence and increasing pr evalence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci and rare strains of Staphyloco ccus aureus with intermediate vancomycin resistance pose a serious clinical threat because no other predictably effective therapy is available, These developments require a reassessment of the long-standing perception of vanc omycin as a reliably effective agent against virtually ail gram-positive ba cteria.