Antimicrobial Susceptibility - Bacteremic Staphylococcal Infections with Strains Having Elevated Glycopeptide (vancomycin) Mic Values

This specimen was presented as a blood culture (bacteremia) isolate and was to be identified and tested for antimicrobial susceptibility. The culture contained a Staphylococcus epidermidis, a common isolate from blood cultures, some being considered skin contaminates. High rates of methicillin resistance are observed in coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) such as S. epidermidis, thus requiring therapy with alternative agents such as vancomycin. This strain was selected to highlight the importance of accurate assessment of vancomycin activity, especially those strains at the extreme (MIC, 4 μg/ml) of the wildtype MIC distribution.