Comparative in-vitro activity of erythromycin, vancomycin and pristinamycin.

We have studied the in-vitro activity of erythromycin, vancomycin and pristinamycin against 1,006 clinical isolates comprising streptococci, staphylococci, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Haemophilus influenzae and anaerobes. In-vitro studies show pristinamycin to inhibit staphylococci and streptococci, including erythromycin highly-resistant organisms, at a concentration of less than or equal to 0.78 mg/l. Although pristinamycin's mean MIC for streptococci is higher than that of erythromycin, pristinamycin is bactericidal, whereas erythromycin is bacteristatic against Streptococcus agalactiae and oral streptococci. Enterococci were less uniformly susceptible to pristinamycin: 58 of the 94 Enterococcus faecalis tested were resistant (MIC greater than or equal to 3.12 mg/l). 14 of the 15 isolates of Enterococcus faecium were inhibited by less than or equal to 1.56 mg/l pristinamycin. Pristinamycin showed poor activity against Haemophilus influenzae (mode MIC 1.56 and MIC90 of 3.12 mg/l) but all except two of the 100 Neisseria gonorrhoeae tested were inhibited by less than or equal to 0.78 mg/l pristinamycin. Pristinamycin inhibited all nine Clostridium spp. at less than or equal to 0.39 mg/l and 38 of 40 strains of anaerobic gram-positive cocci at less than or equal to 0.78 mg/l. It was less effective against the Bacteroides fragilis group: (MIC90 3.12 mg/l). Pristinamycin had poor bactericidal activity against the anaerobes tested.