Clinical Impact of Vancomycin MIC on Outcomes in Patients With Coagulase-negative Staphylococcal Bacteremia

Purpose: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS) are Gram-positive organisms that are a known component of normal skin flora and the most common cause of nosocomial bacteremia. For CoNS species, the vancomycin MIC breakpoint for susceptibility set by the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute is <= 4 mu g/mL. There has been published reports of vancomycin heteroresistance in CoNS with vancomycin MICs of 2 to 4 mu g/mL. The aim of this retrospective cohort analysis was to assess the clinical impact of vancomycin MICs < 2 <mu>g/mL versus >= 2 mu g/mL in adult patients with CoNS bloodstream infections. Methods: Adult patients admitted to University Medical Center New Orleans with a blood culture positive for CoNS were assessed. The primary outcome was difference in 30-day mortality. Secondary outcomes were inhospital, all-cause mortality; duration of bacteremia; hospital length of stay; and percentage of oxacillin-resistant CoNS. Findings: There was no difference in mortality in the vancomycin MIC < 2 <mu>g/mL group versus the vancomycin MIC >= 2 mu g/mL group at 30 days (15.4% vs 17.4%; P = 1). In-hospital, all-cause mortality was also not different between groups (11.5% vs 13%; P = 1). Hospital length of stay between groups was 28.2 days versus 21 days ( P = 0.692). Median duration of bacteremia was 1 day in both groups ( P = 0.975), and median scheduled duration of antibiotic therapy was 14.9 days and 19.5 days ( P = 0.385). The source and mode of acquisition of CoNS were similar between groups. Of all CoNS isolates, 58.7% (44 of 75) were oxacillin resistant. Staphylococcus epidermidis was the most common CoNS species at 66.7% (50 of 75). Of all isolates, 30.7% (23 of 75) had a vancomycin MIC >= 2 mu g/mL, and 87% (20 of 23) of these were S. epidermidis . There was a higher percentage of S. epidermidis in the vancomycin MIC >= 2 mu g/mL group than in the MIC < 2 <mu>g/mL group (87% vs 57.7%; P = 0.012). CoNS with a vancomycin MIC >= 2 mu g/mL were also more likely to be oxacillin resistant (78.3% vs 50%; P = 0.005). Implications: There was no difference in clinical outcomes in adult patients with a CoNS bloodstream infection with a vancomycin MIC < 2 <mu>g/mL versus >= 2 mu g/mL. At present, vancomycin remains appropriate empiric therapy for CoNS bloodstream infection. Further research is needed to determine if there is a true clinical impact of a vancomycin MIC >= 2 mu g/mL in CoNS infections.