Teicoplanin, vancomycin, rifampicin: in-vivo and in-vitro studies with Staphylococcus aureus.

Groups of mice infected with 3.3 X 10(8) Staphylococcus aureus via the tail vein were treated three days later with rifampicin (13 mg/kg), vancomycin (33 mg/kg), or teicoplanin (33 mg/kg). Rifampicin was the most effective agent (28 out of 29 survivors). Vancomycin and teicoplanin were of equivalent efficacy (21 of 29 and 24 of 29 survivors, respectively). When intraleucocytic staphylococci were incubated with rifampicin (1 or 20 mg/l), vancomycin (100 mg/l), or teicoplanin (100 mg/l), rifampicin was the most active drug. Vancomycin and teicoplanin were similar.