COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI: INCIDENCE, PATHOGENICITY, AND TREATMENTIN THE 1990S

ABSTRACT: Coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), which. historically have been viewed as contam inants when recovered m culture media, are now recognized as opportunistic pathogens of increasing importance in hospital- acquired infections. They are. frequently found colonizing prosthe!ic devi.ces~d in~avenous lines. CNS are capable of producing a variety of infections including deep-seated infections such as endocarditis and meningitis. Staphylococcus epidermidis is the most commonly isolated CNS and it appears to be the most resistant to antibiotics, mak ing ant imicrobial therapy challenging. Treatment of the infection will very often require removal of a prosthetic device, if present. An adequate infection control program is imperative in proph ylaxis against this infect ion. DICP Ann Pharmacother 1990;24:714-20. COAGULASE-NEGATIVE STAPHYLOCOCCI (CNS) are the pre-dominant normal skin flora and are often present on mu