Minocycline in staphylococcal soft-tissue infections

Fifteen patients who had severe Staphylococcus aureus infections were treated with minocycline for 6 to 24 days; all responded satisfactorily. Where possible, posttherapy cultures were taken, and in all instances, the pathogen was eradicated. There was no adverse reactions. Minocycline proved to be an acceptable and effective alternative for staphylococcal soft-tissue infections. It has the following advantages: (1) it is administered orally on a twice-daily dosage schedule, which facilitates patient compliance; (2) its toxicity is well defined and is not troublesome during short-term therapy; and (3) it penetrates tissues in therapeutic amounts and yields serum levels that are well above the minimum inhibitory concentrations of most staphylococci.