Failure of daptomycin monotherapy for endocarditis caused by an Enterococcus faecium strain with vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible subpopulations and evidence of in vivo loss of the vanA gene cluster

Clin Infect Dis. 2007 Nov 15;45(10):1343-6. doi: 10.1086/522656. Epub 2007 Oct 5.

Abstract

A patient with native valve endocarditis caused by a vancomycin "heteroresistant" strain of Enterococcus faecium experienced failure of daptomycin monotherapy without evidence of daptomycin resistance. The infecting organism exhibited in vivo emergence of a vancomycin-susceptible subpopulation lacking vanA. Treatment with a combination of high-dose daptomycin, gentamicin, and high-dose ampicillin cleared the infection.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ampicillin / therapeutic use
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacterial Proteins / genetics
  • Carbon-Oxygen Ligases / genetics
  • DNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • Daptomycin / therapeutic use*
  • Drug Therapy, Combination
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / drug therapy*
  • Endocarditis, Bacterial / microbiology*
  • Enterococcus faecium / drug effects*
  • Enterococcus faecium / genetics
  • Enterococcus faecium / isolation & purification
  • Gentamicins / therapeutic use
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / drug therapy*
  • Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Microbial Sensitivity Tests
  • Middle Aged
  • Multigene Family
  • Treatment Failure
  • Vancomycin Resistance / genetics*

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Bacterial Proteins
  • DNA, Bacterial
  • Gentamicins
  • VanA ligase, Bacteria
  • Ampicillin
  • Carbon-Oxygen Ligases
  • Daptomycin