In vitro susceptibilities of enterococcal blood culture isolates from the Hamburg area to ten antibiotics

Treatment of enterococcal infections is often difficult because of intrinsi c and acquired resistance to a variety of antimicrobial agents. Between Jan uary 1993 and May 1997, enterococci were isolated from blood cultures of 11 7 patients at the Institute of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, Univers ity Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. Eighty-nine (76%) isolates were p henotypically identified as Enterococcus faecalis, and 24 (21%) as Enteroco ccus faecium. All E, faecalis isolates, but only 17% of the E. faecium isol ates were susceptible to ampicillin. Two E. faecium isolates (8%) but no E, faecalis were vancomycin resistant (vanA genotype). Quinupristin/dalfopris tin shows a high degree of susceptiblity of E. faecium (79%) and may be sui table for the therapy of infections caused by glycopeptide-resista nt E, fa ecium strains. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.