A microbiological assessment of silver fusidate, a novel topical antimicrobial agent.

The silver salt of fusidic acid is a novel antimicrobial agent. Against staphylococci, in vitro tests showed silver fusidate was more active than silver sulphadiazine, and the activities of the sodium and the silver salts of fusidic acid were correlated. Against streptococci, enterococci, clostridia, Candida albicans and a range of Gram-negative bacilli, silver fusidate was of similar activity to silver sulphadiazine. Silver fusidate at 1 g/l was bactericidal against eight strains of staphylococci, irrespective of their susceptibility to sodium fusidate. Emergence of resistance to silver fusidate was rare.