[Role of teicoplanin in the ambulatory treatment of infections in children due to gram-positive microorganisms].

Infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria remain a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Teicoplanin is a glycopeptide antibiotic with similar spectrum to vancomycin. Easy administration and dosage encourage its use in children, particularly due to its long half-life which allows single daily dose regimens. We evaluated the efficacy of teicoplanin in severe infections in children due to Gram-positive organisms. We retrospectively analyzed 171 children with proven or suspected Gram-positive infection treated with teicoplanin between January 1996 and December 2000. Of them, 166 cases were valuable for clinical assessment. Staphylococcus aureus (72) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (38) were the most frequent pathogens isolated. Osteoarthritis (35) and catheter-related infections (31) were the predominant clinical foci. The cure and improvement rates were 88% (150 patients) and 5% (9 patients) respectively. There were 7 (4%) cases of therapeutic failure. Mean treatment duration was 10 +/- 34.3 days (range: 1-205). Adverse events were registered in 11 patients (6%, 15 adverse events). In this study population, teicoplanin was safe and effective in the ambulatory treatment of severe Gram-positive infections in children.