Effects of Slime Produced by Clinical Isolates of Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci on Activities of Various Antimicrobial Agents

A novel in vitro semiquantitative method was developed to investigate the influence of staphylococcal slime on the activities of 22 antimicrobial agents. Pefloxacin, teicoplanin, and vancomycin demonstrated remarkable decreases in efficacy: 30, 52, and 63%, respectively. The activity of rifampin was not significantly reduced (0.99%), whereas all other agents tested were modestly affected (<15% decrease). These data could be influential in the treatment of implant-associated infections caused by slime-producing staphylococci.