Comparison of the in vitro activity of levofloxacin and other antimicrobial agents against vancomycin-susceptible and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus species.

The in vitro activities of levofloxacin and other antibiotics against 133 clinical isolates of vancomycin-resistant and vancomycin-susceptible enterococci were evaluated. Only 14 (39%) of the vancomycin-susceptible isolates and 11 (11%) of the vancomycin-resistant isolates were susceptible to levofloxacin. Levofloxacin exhibited a marked inoculum effect for all enterococci tested. These results suggest that levofloxacin may be of limited use in the treatment of serious enterococcal infections.