Recent reports on some methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin have been a major concern in Korea because of the widespread use of vancomycin due to a high prevalence of MRSA in the country. We describe a 45-year-old man with long-standing pelvic abscess due to MRSA. In spite of vancomycin and teicoplanin treatment for a long period of time, ...

Pathogenic enterococci are becoming resistant to currently available antibiotics, including vancomycin, the drug of last resort for Gram-positive infections. Enterococci pose a significant public health threat, not least because of the risk of transferring vancomycin resistance to the ubiquitous Staphylococcus aureus. Vancomycin resistance is manifested by cell wall peptidoglycan precursors wit...

Vancomycin use is often associated with nephrotoxicity. It remains uncertain, however, to what extent vancomycin is directly responsible, as numerous potential risk factors for acute kidney injury frequently coexist. Herein, we critically examine available data in adult patients pertinent to this question. We review the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics of vancomycin metabolism. Efficacy and sa...

Infections with Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin continue to be reported, including 2 cases caused by S. aureus isolates with full resistance to vancomycin. This review first outlines the definitions of vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant S. aureus (VRSA) and risk factors for infection. Next, we describe the mechanisms of resistance a...

Enterococci cause serious illness in immunocompromised patients and severely ill, hospitalized patients. Resistance to vancomycin has increased in frequency during the past few years. Limited therapeutic options are available for vancomycin-resistant enterococcal infections and the optimum therapy has not been established. We report a case of nosocomial vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium...

Background The association between specific HLA alleles and risk of severe cutaneous drug hypersensitivity reactions is increasingly recognised. Vancomycin mediated pseudo-allergic ‘red man syndrome’ is well recognised, yet urticaria/anaphylaxis is uncommon and some clinical reactions are delayed. Although this may suggest the presence of vancomycin initiated T cell responses, no predisposing v...

BACKGROUND Management of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia remains a challenge. The emergence of MRSA strains with reduced vancomycin susceptibility complicates treatment. METHODS A prospective cohort study (2005-2007) of patients with MRSA bacteremia treated with vancomycin was performed at an academic hospital. Vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) an...

PURPOSE To determine the influence of topical vancomycin prophylaxis on the incidence of bacterial endophthalmitis in eyes with a Boston Keratoprosthesis (KPro). METHODS A retrospective chart review was performed for 255 eyes of 231 patients who received a KPro between March 1990 and December 2006. Preoperative diagnoses were burn, ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP), Stevens-Johnson Syndrome...

OBJECTIVE Vancomycin is effective in reducing the risk of mediastinits and topical vancomycin has been hypothesised to give high local dose concentrations while avoiding high systemic levels, thus avoiding the risk of bacterial resistance to this second-line antibiotic. However, this theory has never been tested and the degree to which vancomycin is absorbed systemically is unknown. METHODS F...