Antimicrobial resistance to linezolid.

Acquired resistance to linezolid, the first approved oxazolidinone, has been selected in laboratory experiments and has been observed in clinical isolates of gram-positive cocci. This resistance has typically been associated with single-nucleotide changes in varying numbers of copies of the genes encoding 23S ribosomal RNA. In the current environment of increasingly prevalent resistance to standard antibiotics, linezolid is an important drug because of its activity against a number of clinically significant gram-positive cocci, including multidrug-resistant staphylococci and enterococci. Although resistance to linezolid remains uncommon, the development of resistance by clinical isolates should prompt increased attention to susceptibility testing for this agent and should be taken into account in consideration of the therapeutic use of this drug.