The Treatment of Severe Staphylococcal Infections with Vancomycin

Abstract
The efficacy of vancomycin (Vancocin®—Lilly) in the treatment of severe staphylococcal infections is becoming well established. According to several authors it is now the agent of choice if the organism is penicillin-resistant (1-3). Vancomycin has a bactericidal action for staphylococci, and as yet no resistant strains have been reported in clinical practice. Toxicity is often bothersome, but it is rarely serious or a cause for discontinuing therapy. A summary of our experience with this drug in 25 cases of serious staphylococcal infections will be presented, along with a review of the literature on vancomycin. The following cases are reported in