Vancomycin and meropenem in acrylic cement: elution kinetics of in vitro bactericidal action.

The Authors present a paper with a dual goal: in vitro evaluation of the elution of vancomycin and monitoring of its bactericidal action when the antibiotic is used in acrylic cement. Discs of cement with different concentrations of vancomycin alone or combined with meropenem were prepared. To assess the elution of vancomycin the discs were kept in physiological solution and periodically sampled for five weeks. The bactericidal action was assessed by putting the antibiotic discs in contact with colonies of Staphylococcus, Enterococcus, Pseudomonas and Escherichia coli. Two combinations of antibiotic-loaded cement were tested: the first one to act as a spacer and the second to stabilise the revision prosthesis.