Comparative analysis of the activity of glycopeptides and linezolid against nosocomial strains of gram-positive microorganisms isolated from cancer patients

The purpose of the study: to compare the activity of vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid and to determine their place in the current treatment of nosocomial infections caused by gram-positive microflora. Material and Methods. 640 gram-positive microorganisms (S. aureus, E. faecium, E. faecalis) isolated in 2018 from various pathological materials from cancer patients treated at N.N. Blokhin National medical Research center of oncology were studied. Literature data from 1982 to 2019, concerning efficacy of glycopeptides (vancomycin, teicoplanin) and linezolid against these pathogens were analyzed. Results. Data analysis showed that percentage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRsA) was 89 % and percentage of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) was 5.1 % among Enterococcus faecalis and 16.4 % among Enterococcus faecium. The susceptibility of the studied gram-positive microorganisms to teicoplanin, vancomycin and linezolid ranged from 83.3 to 98.8 % (p>0.5). In general, teicoplanin, vancomycin, and linezolid had equally high microbiological activity against nosocomial strains of S. aureus and Enterococcus spp. Also, according to the literature data, a comparative assessment of the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of glycopeptides and linezolid was assessed. Conclusion. Vancomycin and teicoplanin are still the main drugs for the treatment of various infections caused by resistant gram-positive microflora. However, teicoplanin, with an efficacy equal to that of vancomycin, has a number of significant advantages over the latter: better tolerability, lower frequency of adverse reactions, and pharmacokinetic features that make it possible to use it once a day both intravenously and intramuscularly. Both drugs, along with linezolid, can be used to treat infections caused by gram-positive microorganisms in cancer patients.