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Native valve endocarditis caused by coagulase negative staphylococci has become more common. A study of 35 cases showed that the infections were usually acquired in the community and occurred in men (mean age 51 years). A pre-existing cardiac abnormality (mitral leaflet prolapse in a third of patients) was detected in 26 (74%). The source of the organisms in the community acquired infections was assumed to be the skin, though lesions were seldom demonstrated; most hospital acquired infections resulted from intravenous devices. Community acquired organisms were usually sensitive to penicillin, whereas those acquired in hospital were often multiresistant. Most infections were caused by Staphylococcus epidermidis. The frequency of acute presentation (26%) and of major neurological abnormality (23%), together with the need for valve replacement (often emergency) (51%) and the mortality (36%) suggest that coagulase negative staphylococci can be virulent aggressive pathogens, mimicking Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Azlocillin, an acylureidopenicillin that recently became available in the United Kingdom, is considerably more active than other penicillins against . During the past two years we have used it to treat 24 patients with serious pseudomonas infection, either alone or in combination with an aminoglycoside, usually gentamicin. In the immunocompromised and often neutropenic patients there was, predictably, a poor response, but good results were seen in other patients with infections that included osteomyelitis, meningitis and pneumonia. One patient developed mild diarrhoea and another had a severe hypersensitivity reaction whilst receiving azlocillin and tobramycin. Azlocillin is a useful new anti-pseudomonal antimicrobial. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The activity of LY127935 (6059S) was assessed against recent clinical isolates of common bacteria. It was highly active against the , with nearly all isolates inhibited by 1 mg/l, and was also highly active against and , including β-lactamase-producing isolates. Its activity against was notable in that it was about fourfold more active than carbenicillin against most isolates but was relatively much more active against highly carbenicillin-resistant isolates. It was generally more active than most cephalosporins against other pseudomonads and spp. LY127935 was active, but less so than cephaloridine, against streptococci (other than against which it was inactive) and staphylococci, but methicillin-resistant staphylococci were resistant to it. Most isolates of and other species of were sensitive to LY127935, but there were a number of relatively resistant strains. LY127935 was resistant to hydrolysis by all the β-lactamases tested except one from a highly ampicillin-resistant strain of that hydrolysed the compound very slowly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]