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Antimicrobial agents for treatment of serious infections caused by resistant Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci

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Abstract

As clinicians increasingly contend with infections due to staphylococci or enterococci resistant to, or failing treatment with, traditional antimicrobial agents, understanding the potential roles of older as well as more recently introduced antimicrobial agents becomes important. Older agents, such as clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, have been used to treat infections due to community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Among the licensed agents, quinupristin-dalfopristin, linezolid, daptomycin, and tigecycline are active in vitro against most strains of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium, but these agents differ in their approved clinical indications. New agents currently under investigation may further expand treatment options.

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  1. Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA

    G. M. Eliopoulos

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Correspondence to G. M. Eliopoulos.

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Disclosures: The author has received research contracts from and/or consulted for the following: Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Pfizer, Inc., Theravance, Inc., and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals.

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Eliopoulos, G.M. Antimicrobial agents for treatment of serious infections caused by resistant Staphylococcus aureus and enterococci. Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 24, 826–831 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10096-005-0055-1

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