In vitro study of the potential role of quinupristin/dalfopristin in the treatment of catheter-related staphylococcal infections.

The susceptibility of clinical isolates of methicillin-susceptible and -resistant staphylococci from cancer patients with central venous catheter bacteremia to quinupristin/dalfopristin, a semisynthetic streptogramin, was determined in vitro. Susceptibility of these isolates to nine other antistaphylococcal antibiotics was also determined for comparison. A total of 197 staphylococcal strains were tested from 1983 to 1992. Quinupristin/dalfopristin was bactericidal against all isolates, independent of their resistance to methicillin. Its activity was similar to that of vancomycin but superior to that of teicoplanin. Quinupristin/dalfopristin may prove to be an important addition to our armamentarium against catheter-related staphylococcal infections.