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In vitro activity of daptomycin versus linezolid and vancomycin against gram-positive uropathogens and ampicillin against enterococci, causing complicated urinary tract infections.

Wagenlehner FM, Lehn N, Witte W, Naber KG

Department of Urology, St. Elisabeth Hospital, Straubing, Germany.

OBJECTIVES: The existing therapeutic options for complicated urinary tract infections (UTI) caused by gram-positive uropathogens are not always optimal. Therefore, newer antimicrobials have to be assessed. METHODS: The antimicrobial activity of daptomycin was tested versus linezolid, vancomycin, and ampicillin (enterococci on ly), against pathogens from three different collections: (1) Uropathogens from hospitalized urological patients with complicated and/or hospital-acquired UTIs of the Urologic Clinic, Hospital St. Elisabeth, Straubing. (2) Uropathogens from a multicenter study comprising 37 urological centers throughout Germany. (3) Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates of patients and staff within the Hospital St. Elisabeth, Straubing. Genotyping of the latter isolates was performed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The minimal inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of daptomycin, linezolid, vancomycin, and ampicillin (only tested against enterococci) were determined by an agar dilution method using a multipointer with an inoculum of 10(4) CFU per point. RESULTS: For all methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (n = 25), MRSA (n = 49), methicillin-susceptible coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 129), methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci (n = 33), for Enterococcus faecalis (n = 289), and for Enterococcus faecium (n = 4) the MICs ranged up to 2 mg/l (daptomycin, linezolid), up to 4 mg/l (vancomycin), and up to 8 mg/l (ampicillin, enterococci only) indicating that all strains were susceptible to the antibiotics tested. CONCLUSIONS: According to the in vitro activity daptomycin may be considered a promising antibacterial agent for the treatment of complicated UTI caused by gram-positive uropathogens. Thus, daptomycin should be evaluated in a clinical study.

Published 8 June 2005 in Chemotherapy, 51(2): 64-9.
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