Vancomycin therapy of experimental peritoneal catheter-associated infection (Staphylococcus epidermidis) in a mouse model.

Catheter-related sepsis, principally with S. epidermidis, remains a main complication of continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD). A possible reason for the antibiotic resistance often displayed by these infections is the presence of bacteria growing in a protective biofilm on the catheter surface. We developed a reproducible stable model of experimental peritoneal catheter-associated infection with S. epidermidis in the mouse and used this model to examine the therapeutic efficacy of vancomycin. The response to vancomycin treatment given daily (15 mg/kg body weight) for periods from 1-14 days, relating the proportion of successful outcome (sterilization of implant infection) over time, was typical of an S-shaped biological response curve. These results extend our previous observations in vitro of the activity of vancomycin against S. epidermidis biofilm preparations and serve as a rational basis for the experimental evaluation of synergy and antagonism in the treatment of implant-associated infection.