UMEM Educational Pearls

Title: Antibiotics For MRSA

Category: Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Keywords: MRSA, antibiotic, pneumonia, VAP, cephalosporin, infection (PubMed Search)

Posted: 5/3/2012 by Ellen Lemkin, MD, PharmD
Click here to contact Ellen Lemkin, MD, PharmD

If vancomycin resistance is suspected with MRSA infections, there are several other antibiotic choices. They are all extremely expensive.

Antibiotic	ORAL	Indication	Precaution
Telavancin	N	SSTI	May cause QT prolongation: Caution with azole antifungals, class III antiarrhythmics, antidepressants, antipsychotics. Interferes with coagulation tests.
Daptomycin	N	SSTI Bacteremia Endocarditis	Not for pneumonia. May cause rhabdomyolysis; Discontinue statins.
Linezolid	Y	VAP SSTI	Not for bacteremia. May cause serotonin syndrome; Caution with antidepressants, antipsychotics, tramadol, methadone.
Tigecycline	N	Intrabdominal infections SSTI	Not for bacteremia. Inhibits clearance of warfarin. Reserve for polymicrobial infections.

Skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI); ventilator acquired pneumonia (VAP)