Vancomycin - effective doses getting bigger

Link: Vancomycin MIC creep in non-vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA), vancomycin-susceptible clinical methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) blood isolates from 2001-05 -- Steinkraus et al., 10.1093/jac/dkm258 -- Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Results: All isolates were susceptible to vancomycin, linezolid and daptomycin and resistant to oxacillin. MICs increased for vancomycin, linezolid and oxacillin (P < 0.0001); however, daptomycin MICs decreased slightly (P = 0.0386). For vancomycin, linezolid and oxacillin, there were significant increases (P < 0.0001) in the percentage of isolates with MICs that were higher than the respective 2001 median MIC, but not for daptomycin (P = 0.1361). Oxacillin MICs were associated with MICs of linezolid (r = 0.364, P < 0.0001), vancomycin (r = 0.353, P < 0.0001) and daptomycin (r = 0.106, P = 0.0063). Conclusions: Oxacillin, vancomycin and linezolid MICs increased over time. For vancomycin and linezolid, these MIC increases were not reliably detected by percentage susceptibility as they occurred below the susceptibility breakpoint. Although the MICs of all agents appeared to be associated with increasing oxacillin MICs, the strongest associations were noted for vancomycin and linezolid.