Page "Glycopeptide antibiotic" Paragraph 2

Due to their toxicity, use of glycopeptide antibiotics is restricted to patients who are critically ill, who have a demonstrated hypersensitivity to the β-lactams, or who are infected with β-lactam-resistant species.

These antibiotics are effective principally against gram-positive cocci.

They exhibit a narrow spectrum of action, and are bacteriocidal only against the enterococci.

Some tissues are not penetrated very well by glycopeptides, and they do not penetrate into the cerebrospinal fluid.