What is the role of aminoglycosides in the treatment of enterococcal endocarditis?
Aminoglycoside-containing regimens have been a cornerstone of antimicrobial therapy for enterococcal endocarditis and have been recommended as standard therapy in previous (1995) AHA guidelines. Since the publication of the latest (2005) AHA statement on antimicrobial therapy of patients with endocarditis, the frequency of aminoglycoside-resistant strains of enterococci has increased significantly. Therefore, in vitro susceptibility to daptomycin and linezolid should be obtained for strains that are resistant to -lactams, vancomycin, or aminoglycosides (Class I; Level of Evidence C).