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Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
12:18

Subcutaneous Infection of Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)

Published on: February 9, 2011

Linezolid treatment of prosthetic hip Infections due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)

M Bassetti1, A Di Biagio, G Cenderello

  • 1Department of Infectious Disease, University of Genoa School of Medicine, San Martino Hospital, Genoa, Italy. mattba@tin.it

The Journal of Infection
|October 26, 2001
PubMed

Insights

Linezolid offers a promising treatment for prosthetic joint infections caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). This antibiotic may be effective for long-term suppressive therapy when prosthesis removal is not an option.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Prosthetic joint infection is a severe complication of total joint arthroplasty.
  • Complete removal of infected material is crucial, but not always feasible.
  • Suppressing infection with antibiotics may be an alternative to prosthesis removal.

Observation:

  • Two cases of hip joint infections caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were reported.
  • Patients had prosthetic hip joint infections.
  • These infections were treated with a prolonged course of linezolid.

Findings:

  • Both cases of MRSA prosthetic hip infections were successfully treated with linezolid.
  • Linezolid demonstrated efficacy in managing these difficult-to-treat infections.
  • Long-term suppressive antibiotic therapy with linezolid was effective.

Implications:

  • Linezolid shows promise for treating prosthetic joint infections, especially those caused by MRSA.
  • It is a potential therapeutic option when other treatments are not feasible.
  • This suggests linezolid's utility in long-term antibiotic management of Gram-positive prosthetic joint infections.

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