Susceptibility of clinical isolates of frequently encountered bacterial species to tigecycline one year after the introduction of this new class of antibiotics: results of the second multicentre surveillance trial in Germany (G-TEST II, 2007)

Tigecycline, a broad-spectrum antibiotic for parenteral use, was introduced in Germany in May 2006. In the G-TEST-II trial, the susceptibility of isolates, recovered in 2007 from hospitalised patients in 15 centres, was assessed against tigecycline and comparators. Susceptibility tests were performed by the microdilution procedure. This study reports on the susceptibility of the isolates of 16 bacterial species and compares the results with those of a trial (G-TEST I) conducted prior to the introduction of tigecycline. Between 2005 and 2007, tigecycline retained activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms. By contrast, the rate of vancomycin-resistant strains among Enterococcus faecium isolates almost doubled. Moreover, an increase in resistance to broad-spectrum beta-lactams and fluoroquinolones was observed for members of the family Enterobacteriaceae. Against a background of a steadily rising number of pathogens that are resistant to various antibiotic classes, tigecycline represents an important treatment option.