title: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections: A review of the currently available treatment options.
abstract: This review is the result of discussions that took place at the 5th MRSA Working Group Consensus Meeting and explores the possible treatment options available for different types of infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), focusing on those antibiotics that could represent a valid alternative to vancomycin. In fact, whilst vancomycin remains a viable option, its therapy is moving towards individualised dosing. Other drugs, such as the new lipoglycopeptides (oritavancin, dalbavancin and telavancin) and fifth-generation cephalosporins (ceftaroline and ceftobiprole), are showing good in vitro potency and in vivo efficacy, especially for patients infected with micro-organisms with higher vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs). Tedizolid is an attractive agent for use both in hospital and community settings, but the post-marketing data will better clarify its potential. Daptomycin and linezolid have shown non-inferiority to vancomycin in the treatment of MRSA bacteraemia and non-inferiority/superiority to vancomycin in the treatment of hospital-acquired pneumonia. Thus, several options are available, but more data from clinical practice, especially for invasive infections, are needed to assign specific roles to each antibiotic and to definitely include them in the new antibacterial armamentarium.
authors.affiliation: Medical Molecular Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory (MMAR Lab), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Purrello
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Hospital Universitari Mútua de Terrassa, Terrassa, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garau
authors.affiliation: 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Attikon University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giamarellos
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology Section, University of Firenze, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mazzei
authors.affiliation: Institute of Clinical Pharmacology, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Santa Maria della Misericordia, Udine, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Medical Sciences, University of Udine, Udine, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pea
authors.affiliation: Department of Infectious Diseases, IDIBAPS, Hospital Clínic of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Medical Molecular Microbiology and Antibiotic Resistance Laboratory (MMAR Lab), Department of Biomedical and Biotechnological Sciences, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. Electronic address: stefanis@unict.it.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stefani
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017576:Daptomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D000069349:Linezolid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000187:drug effects*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014640:Vancomycin; D000069349:Linezolid; D017576:Daptomycin
keywords: Antibiotics; MRSA infection; Treatment