Taurolidine: in vitro activity against multiple-antibiotic-resistant, nosocomially significant clinical isolates of Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecium, and diverse Enterobacteriaceae

Abstract

Taurolidine at < or = 1,250 micrograms/ml killed all 37 isolates of multiple-antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (n = 9), Enterococcus faecium (n = 17), and Enterobacteriaceae (n = 11). Time-kill experiments disclosed that bovine serum (65% v/v) only marginally retarded the bactericidal activity of 2,000 and 1,000 micrograms/ml of taurolidine against the various strains. Taurolidine at 2,000 micrograms/ml did not antagonize the bactericidal activity of 50% (v/v) fresh human serum against promptly and delayed serum-sensitive test strains of Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens. In the presence of 65% (v/v) of fresh defibrinated human blood from two donors, however, the bactericidal activity of this antimicrobial compound was delayed, i.e., manifested only following extended (overnight) incubation, against staphylococcal and enterococcal isolates, though less so in the case of Enterobacteriaceae. Taurolidine at 2,000 micrograms/ml killed ingested, i.e., intraphagocytic bacteria of human-serum-resistant S. marcescens strains CDC 06:H3 and P016:H-.