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Detection of aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy againstEnterococcus faecium using high-content aminoglycoside disks

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Abstract

Thirty-sevenEnterococcus faecium strains were screened for high-level aminoglycoside resistance with an agar diffusion test using high-content aminoglycoside disks (300 μg of streptomycin and 120 μg of gentamicin, tobramycin, kanamycin or amikacin). The inhibition zones obtained were correlated with results of time-kill penicillin-aminoglycoside synergy studies. An 11 mm breakpoint differentiated strains susceptible or resistant to the synergy of streptomycin plus penicillin. Irrespective of the inhibition zones obtained with tobramycin and kanamycin disks,Enterococcus faecium strains never showed synergy with penicillin in combination with these aminoglycosides. Penicillin-amikacin synergy cannot be predicted by the amikacin disks. Nevertheless, even though kanamycin disks do not predict penicillin-kanamycin synergy, they can be used to predict penicillinamikacin synergy. In summary, high-content streptomycin, gentamicin and kanamycin disks can be used to predict the susceptibility ofEnterococcus faecium strains to the synergistic combination of penicillin plus one of the aminoglycosides (streptomycin, gentamicin or amikacin, respectively).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Area Bioquímica y Biología Molecular, Universidad de la Rioja, Luis de Ulloa 20, 26004, Logrono, Spain

    C. Torres, C. Tenorio & M. Zarazaga

  2. Sección de Microbiología, Hospital San Millán, 26004, Logroño, Spain

    M. Lantero

  3. Servicío de Microbiología, Hospital Ramón y Cajal, 28034, Madrid, Spain

    F. Baquero

Authors
  1. C. Torres
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  2. C. Tenorio
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  3. M. Lantero
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  4. M. Zarazaga
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  5. F. Baquero
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Torres, C., Tenorio, C., Lantero, M. et al. Detection of aminoglycoside-penicillin synergy againstEnterococcus faecium using high-content aminoglycoside disks. Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. 14, 878–882 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691494

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01691494

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