Staphylococcus Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Staphylococcus, including details on mrsa, hospitals, infection, antibiotic resistance, superbugs.

Counterpoint: Vancomycin and Staphylococcus aureus--an antibiotic enters obsolescence.

Deresinski S

Division of Infectious Disease and Geographic Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University, CA, USA. polishmd@stanford.edu

The efficacy of vancomycin for the treatment of patients with infections due to Staphylococcus aureus is impaired by its poor tissue penetration and by its relatively weak antibacterial activity--an activity that is declining as S. aureus evolves. Neither dose escalation nor use of vancomycin in combination with other antibiotics that have antistaphylcoccal activity has been demonstrated to safely enhance its therapeutic efficacy. Although no clinical trials suggest superiority of vancomycin over any comparator, some have provided evidence of its inferiority. Strong consideration should be given to the use of alternative agents in the treatment of serious S. aureus infections.

Published 22 May 2007 in Clin Infect Dis, 44(12): 1543-8.
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