Interim guidelines for prevention and control of Staphylococcal infection associated with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin.

Staphylococci are one of the most common causes of community- and hospital-acquired infection. In many U.S. hospitals, strains of staphylococci (i.e., Staphylococcus aureus or coagulase-negative staphylococci) are resistant to all available antimicrobials except vancomycin. Rare cases of infection in the United States (1) have been caused by coagulase-negative staphylococci with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] > or = 8 microg/mL)(2).