Development of high-level gentamicin resistance among enterococci represents a serious therapeutic problem as it precludes synergy between aminoglycosides and cell-wall active agents. As part of a search for active antibiotic combinations against enterococci with high-level gentamicin resistance, we tested by the time kill curve method the efficacy of ciprofloxacin combined with ampicillin, trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole, vancomycin or teicoplanin against ten isolates of Enterococcus faecium, three of Enterococcus casseliflavus and 13 of Enterococcus faecalis that exhibited a MIC of gentamicin > or = 2000 mg/L. Most of the E. faecium were also resistant to ampicillin and to ciprofloxacin. The combination of ciprofloxacin with ampicillin was bactericidal against five of seven E. faecium strains that exhibited a ciprofloxacin MIC < or = 4 mg/L, but was inactive against the three E. faecium that were highly resistant to ciprofloxacin. This combination was also bactericidal against the E. casseliflavus and all the E. faecalis strains. The combination of ciprofloxacin with trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole was bactericidal against five of the seven E. faecium and seven of the nine E. faecalis strains with a ciprofloxacin MIC < or = 4 mg/L. No bactericidal activity of this combination was seen against the enterococci that were highly resistant to either ciprofloxacin or to trimethoprim-sulphamethoxazole. The combination of ciprofloxacin with glycopeptides was inactive against E. faecium and E. casseliflavus and against E. faecalis, it was either ineffective or antagonistic; in only one case it was bactericidal. Five strains of E. faecium were resistant to all antibiotic combinations tested.