Many gram-positive cocci are commensal organisms that cause infection only when they find their way into normally sterile areas. They are the most common cause of skin infections and a frequent cause of pneumonia and septicemia. Although they are generally susceptible to a broad range of antibiotics, certain strains have developed resistance to many available antimicrobial drugs.

Last full review/revision April 2013 by Larry M. Bush, MD; Maria T. Perez, MD