virginiamycin and Meningitis--Bacterial

Bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of neurological morbidity and mortality in both children and adults. With increasing antibiotic resistance in pneumococci and documented microbiological failure in treatment of pneumococcal meningitis with cefotaxime and ceftriaxone, the need for alternative antibiotic therapy is critical. Of the currently available options, vancomycin has shown the most promise, particularly when used in combination with ceftriaxone or cefotaxime. Rifampin, also used in combination with either ceftriaxone or cefotaxime, has demonstrated encouraging preliminary results against antibiotic-resistant pneumococci as well. Chloramphenicol has unexpectedly yielded discouraging clinical results in children with infection caused by penicillin-resistant strains. Of the investigational antibiotics currently in clinical trials for the treatment of meningitis, meropenem, a carbapenem-class antibiotic, has demonstrated increased activity against penicillin-resistant pneumococci compared with that of other beta-lactam antibiotics, while having a safety profile similar to that of the cephalosporins.

Topics: Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Anti-Infective Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Chloramphenicol; Clindamycin; Female; Fluoroquinolones; Humans; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Lactams; Male; Meningitis, Bacterial; Naphthyridines; Penicillin Resistance; Rifampin; Streptococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Vancomycin; Virginiamycin

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VR E. faecium) is a rare cause of meningitis and is associated with substantial mortality. Limited therapeutic options are available for the treatment of VR E. faecium meningitis. The optimum therapy has not been established.. We retrospectively identified adult cases of meningitis due to VR E. faecium that occurred at the Massachusetts General Hospital from 1999 to 2011 and performed a literature search for published adult cases using Medline and Embase.. At our institution, 4 cases of meningitis due to VR E. faecium were identified. Three out of our 4 cases were successfully treated with linezolid in combination with rifampicin, or with daptomycin in combination with quinupristin-dalfopristin (QD), and 1 out of 4 with linezolid monotherapy. The literature search yielded 18 cases published to date. Published cases showed bacterial cure with linezolid, chloramphenicol or QD (intravenous (IV) and intrathecal (IT)) monotherapy, or linezolid in combination with ampicillin, gentamicin, rifampicin or chloramphenicol, or daptomycin in combination with gentamicin or QD.. Bacterial cure of meningitis due to VR E. faecium can be achieved with various antimicrobial drugs used as monotherapy or in combination. IT in addition to IV therapy should be considered dependent on the pharmacological properties of the drugs. We also reported the successful treatment of a case with a vancomycin-resistant, linezolid-intermediate isolate with QD and daptomycin. The paucity of cases with this clinical syndrome does not allow the identification of an optimal treatment regimen.

Topics: Acetamides; Adult; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Daptomycin; Enterococcus faecium; Female; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Linezolid; Male; Meningitis, Bacterial; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Middle Aged; Oxazolidinones; Retrospective Studies; Vancomycin Resistance; Virginiamycin

We report a case of ventriculostomy-related meningitis caused by vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE). The patient was successfully treated with administration of quinupristin/dalfopristin by both intravenous and intraventricular routes. A brief review of the literature is provided, which indicates that optimal management with quinupristin/dalfopristin should include daily intraventricular doses of at least 2 mg.

Topics: Drug Therapy, Combination; Enterococcus; Female; Humans; Infusions, Intravenous; Injections, Intraventricular; Meningitis, Bacterial; Middle Aged; Treatment Outcome; Vancomycin Resistance; Ventriculostomy; Virginiamycin

Topics: Anti-Bacterial Agents; Enterococcus faecium; Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Meningitis, Bacterial; Virginiamycin