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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

Treatment of meningitis due to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis with linezolid

Wolfgang A Krueger1, Bernd Kottler, Bernd E Will

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Tübingen University Hospital, 72076 Tübingen, Germany. wolfgang.krueger@uni-tuebingen.de

Journal of Clinical Microbiology
|February 10, 2004
PubMed

Insights

Linezolid effectively treated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis meningitis, even with low inflammation. This study documents its successful use and therapeutic drug levels in cerebrospinal fluid.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Neuroscience
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Nosocomial meningitis, particularly from prosthetic devices, poses a significant clinical challenge.
  • Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis (MRSE) is a common pathogen in device-associated infections.
  • Current treatment of choice, vancomycin, exhibits poor cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) penetration, especially in non-severely inflamed meninges.

Observation:

  • A patient presented with post-traumatic meningitis caused by MRSE.
  • The patient exhibited a low-level inflammatory response, complicating standard treatment approaches.
  • Vancomycin's limited CSF penetration was a concern for effective treatment.

Findings:

  • Linezolid was successfully administered to treat the MRSE meningitis.
  • Therapeutic effectiveness was confirmed through microbiological documentation.
  • Simultaneous measurement of linezolid levels in serum and CSF validated its efficacy and pharmacokinetic profile.

Implications:

  • Linezolid represents a viable therapeutic option for MRSE meningitis, particularly in cases with poor CSF inflammation.
  • This case highlights the importance of therapeutic drug monitoring for antibiotics targeting CNS infections.
  • Further research into linezolid's role in managing device-associated meningitis is warranted.

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