Colistin efficacy in an experimental model of Acinetobacter baumannii endocarditis

• Published in: Clinical microbiology and infection Vol. 10; no. 6; pp. 581 - 584
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Hernández, M.-J., Jiménez-Mejias, M.E., Pichardo, C., Cuberos, L., García-Curiel, A., Pachón, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2004; Blackwell Science Ltd; Blackwell
• Subjects: Acinetobacter baumannii; Acinetobacter baumannii - drug effects; Acinetobacter Infections - drug therapy; Acinetobacter Infections - microbiology; Animals; Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use; bacteraemia; Bacteremia - drug therapy; Bacteremia - microbiology; Bacterial diseases; Bacterial sepsis; Biological and medical sciences; Colistin; Colistin - therapeutic use; Colony Count, Microbial; Disease Models, Animal; endocarditis; Endocarditis, Bacterial - drug therapy; Endocarditis, Bacterial - microbiology; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart Valves - microbiology; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Infectious diseases; Medical sciences; Microbial Sensitivity Tests; Microbiology; Rabbits; Treatment Outcome; Acinetobacter baumannii; endocarditis; Colistin; bacteraemia; Microbiology; Neisseriaceae; Cardiovascular disease; Bacteremia; Infection; Antibiotic; Heart disease; Endocardial disease; Endocarditis; Bacteriosis; Bacteria; Micrococcales; Models; Antibacterial agent
• ISSN: 1198-743X; 1469-0691
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-0691.2004.00910.x

The in-vivo activity of colistin was evaluated in an experimental rabbit model of Acinetobacter baumannii endocarditis with a strain susceptible to colistin and intermediate to imipenem. Compared to a control group, colistin was effective (p < 0.05) in bacterial clearance from blood and in the sterilisation of blood cultures, but was not effective in clearing A. baumannii from vegetations. Thus, although colistin may be effective in treating bacteraemia caused by susceptible strains of A. baumannii, it may not be a suitable treatment for endocarditis, perhaps because of poor penetration into vegetations and a low Cmax/MIC ratio in tissue.