ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF TEICOPLANIN AND VANCOMYCIN IN COMBINATION WITH RIFAMPICIN, FUSIDIC ACID OR FOSFOMYCIN AGAINST STAPHYLOCOCCI ON VEIN CATHETERS

The bactericidal activities of teicoplanin and vancomycin, as single agents or combined with fosfomycin, fusidic acid or rifampicin, were investigated in an in vitro study involving 20 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from infected vein catheters. Greater antibacterial effects were exhibited against certain bacterial strains by the combined antibiotics, rather than by teicoplanin or vancomycin alone. The vancomycin-fusidic acid combination showed less of a bactericidal effect than all other combinations. The strongest bactericidal effects on all strains were exhibited by the combinations of teicoplanin and vancomycin with rifampicin. These results may be important for the antibiotic treatment of staphylococcal infections of vein catheters, if immediate removal of an infected catheter is not possible.