One thousand six hundred and fifty clinically significant, consecutive and non redundant strains of staphylococci, including 863 Staphylococcus aureus and 787 coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS), were isolated between October 1999 and March 2000 in 35 French hospital laboratories. Susceptibilities were determined in each center by a standard diffusion method according to the recommendations of CA-SFM. Strains with vancomycin zone size diameter <17 mm were sent to the central laboratory for MIC determination of vancomycin by agar dilution, as recommended by the CA-CSFM. Frequencies of resistance to oxacillin were 38.6% for S. aureus (MRSA), 54% for the CNS, all species and 62% for S. epidermidis, respectively. The antibiotics tested showed a good activity against strains of S. aureus susceptible to oxacillin, more than 95% of strains being susceptible except for erythromycin (82.6%). Against MRSA, vancomycin and prisitinamycin had the highest rates of susceptible strains, greater than 93% for the later antibiotic. More than 92% of strains of CNS susceptible or resistant to oxacillin were sensitive to pristinamycin. Pristinamycin displayed a good activity whether the strains were constitutively or inducibly resistant to MLS(B). It comes out from this in vitro study that the rate of resistance of staphylococci to pristinamycin remains weak and stable in France. Pristinamycin is a good alternative for oral treatment of staphylococcal infections.