What is glycopeptide-intermediate S. aureus (GISA)?
The term glycopeptide refers to a group of antimicrobial agents that includes vancomycin and teicoplanin. Since the first two VISA isolates in the United States were also resistant to teicoplanin, the term glycopeptide-intermediate S. aureus (GISA) was used to indicate this broader resistance profile. While GISA may be a more specific term for strains intermediate to both vancomycin and teicoplanin, not all VISA strains are intermediate to teicoplanin; therefore, VISA is a more accurate and widely used term.
