title: Vancomycin in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus - a clinician's guide to the science informing current practice.
abstract: Clinicians treating an infection assess a patient in terms of disease manifestation, causative organism and available antibiotic options with the aim of devising a therapeutic strategy under the creed of 'first, do no harm'. It is often only when treatment is failing or options are limited, as in the scenario of multidrug-resistant organisms, that consideration is given to the interplay that occurs between the microbe and the host. The emergence of Staphylococcus aureus with reduced susceptibility to vancomycin provides a prime example of these dynamic interactions. This review shall explore these concepts in relation to vancomycin for the treatment of methicillin-resistant S. aureus, with the aim of providing an informed approach to the utilization of this drug.
authors.affiliation: Microbiological Diagnostic Unit Public Health Laboratory, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Melbourne at the Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, Parkville, 3010, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jean Yh
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Benjamin P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Howden
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic / Q000592:standards*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin
keywords: MRSA; Staphylococcus aureus; antibiotic resistance; rifampicin; vancomycin