title: What is the best therapeutic approach to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus pneumonia?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this review is to define what the best therapeutic approach is for the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Although two meta-analyses reported conflicting findings, recent retrospective studies reported higher success rates in patients with MRSA pneumonia treated with linezolid when compared to vancomycin. Only registration trials are available for some anti-MRSA antibiotics, such as telavancin, ceftaroline, and ceftobiprole. Scarce information is available regarding the best therapeutic approach for MRSA community-acquired pneumonia.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Linezolid seems to be a better choice than vancomycin for the treatment of MRSA ventilator-associated pneumonia. It is still unclear whether this affirmation holds for other forms of MRSA pneumonia. Further research is needed to define whether newer antibiotics are better alternatives than currently recommended agents.
authors.affiliation: Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peyrani
authors.forename: Julio
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ramirez
mesh_terms: D000081:Acetamides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D000069349:Linezolid; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D023303:Oxazolidinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011023:Pneumonia, Staphylococcal / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000081:Acetamides; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D023303:Oxazolidinones; D014640:Vancomycin; D000069349:Linezolid