Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Biosensor for Detection of Antibiotic Resistant Staphylococcus Bacteria

Published on: May 8, 2013

Antibiotics currently used in the treatment of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus

C Rayner¹, W J Munckhof

¹Facility for Anti-infective Drug Development and Innovation, Victorian College of Pharmacy, Monash University, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.

Internal Medicine Journal

|November 8, 2005

Abstract:

Staphylococcal infections are a common and significant clinical problem in medical practice. Most strains of Staphylococcus aureus are now resistant to penicillin, and methicillin-resistant strains of S. aureus (MRSA) are common in hospitals and are emerging in the community. Penicillinase-resistant penicillins (flucloxacillin, dicloxacillin) remain the antibiotics of choice for the management of serious methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) infections, but first generation cephalosporins (cefazolin, cephalothin and cephalexin), clindamycin, lincomycin and erythromycin have important therapeutic roles in less serious MSSA infections such as skin and soft tissue infections or in patients with penicillin hypersensitivity, although cephalosporins are contra-indicated in patients with immediate penicillin hypersensitivity (urticaria, angioedema, bronchospasm or anaphylaxis). All serious MRSA infections should be treated with parenteral vancomycin or, if the patient is vancomycin allergic, teicoplanin. Nosocomial strains of MRSA are typically multi-resistant (mrMRSA), and mrMRSA strains must always be treated with a combination of two oral antimicrobials, typically rifampicin and fusidic acid, because resistance develops rapidly if they are used as single agents. Most community-acquired strains of MRSA in Australia and New Zealand are non multiresistant (nmMRSA), and lincosamides (clindamycin, lincomycin) or cotrimoxazole are the antibiotics of choice for less serious nmMRSA infections such as skin and soft tissue infections. New antibiotics such as linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin have good antistaphylococcal activity but are very expensive and should be reserved for patients who fail on or are intolerant of conventional therapy or who have highly resistant strains such as hVISA (heterogenous vancomycin-intermediate S aureus).

Insights

Staphylococcus aureus infections are a growing problem due to antibiotic resistance. Treatment strategies vary for methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections, with combination therapies recommended for resistant strains.

Area of Science:

Medical Microbiology
Infectious Diseases
Pharmacology

Background:

Staphylococcal infections pose a significant clinical challenge.
Increasing antibiotic resistance, particularly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), is a major concern in both hospital and community settings.
Penicillin resistance is widespread among Staphylococcus aureus strains.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current treatment strategies for staphylococcal infections.
To differentiate therapeutic approaches for methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) and MRSA.
To highlight the importance of appropriate antibiotic selection based on resistance patterns and infection severity.

Main Methods:

Literature review of current antimicrobial therapies for staphylococcal infections.
Analysis of antibiotic susceptibility patterns for MSSA and MRSA.
Evaluation of treatment guidelines for various staphylococcal infection types.

Main Results:

Penicillinase-resistant penicillins are preferred for serious MSSA infections.
First-generation cephalosporins, clindamycin, lincomycin, and erythromycin are options for less severe MSSA infections or penicillin-hypersensitive patients.
Parenteral vancomycin or teicoplanin are recommended for serious MRSA infections.
Multi-resistant MRSA (mrMRSA) requires combination oral therapy (e.g., rifampicin and fusidic acid).
Non-multiresistant MRSA (nmMRSA) can be treated with lincosamides or cotrimoxazole for less severe infections.
Newer agents like linezolid and quinupristin/dalfopristin are reserved for refractory cases or highly resistant strains.

Conclusions:

Effective management of staphylococcal infections hinges on understanding resistance mechanisms and tailoring antibiotic choices.
Combination therapy is crucial for treating multi-resistant MRSA to prevent rapid resistance development.
Careful consideration of patient history, including penicillin hypersensitivity, is essential when selecting antibiotics.
Emerging resistance necessitates ongoing research into novel antimicrobial agents and treatment strategies.

Read full analysis

More Related Videos

Development and Assessment of Intracellular Infection Models for Staphylococcus aureus

Development and Assessment of Intracellular Infection Models for Staphylococcus aureus

Published on: January 17, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Clinical Significance of Antibiotic Resistance

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) presents a critical public health threat, arising from its capacity to resist β-lactam antibiotics due to acquisition of the mecA gene within the staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec). This gene encodes penicillin-binding protein 2a (PBP2a), which impairs binding efficacy of methicillin and other β-lactams. MRSA has evolved into distinct clonal lineages impacting humans and animals alike, reinforcing its significance within the One...

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Mechanism of Antibiotic Resistance in MRSA

Antibiotic resistance in bacteria arises when microorganisms evolve the ability to withstand drugs designed to kill them or inhibit their growth, rendering once-effective treatments useless. This phenomenon, driven by genetic change and selection under antibiotic exposure, poses a profound threat to modern medicine. Mechanisms include drug-inactivating enzymes (e.g., β-lactamases), efflux pumps that eject antibiotics, mutations altering antibiotic targets, decreased drug uptake, and acquisition...

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcal Skin Infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive coccus that resides harmlessly on the skin and mucous membranes of healthy individuals. When the skin barrier is breached, it can shift from a commensal to an opportunistic pathogen. This transition is facilitated by surface adhesins, such as clumping factor B and S. aureus surface protein G (SasG), which bind to structural proteins, including loricrin and cytokeratin, in the damaged epidermis. Protein A, another key factor, binds the Fc region of...

Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism

Combined Effects of Drugs: Synergism

Synergism is a useful mechanism where combining two or more drugs is more effective than each constituent used alone. Such combinations are also called supra-additive interactions. The drugs collectively enhance the final therapeutic effect by acting on different targets. Another advantage is that the low dose of each constituent drug is sufficient to achieve the desired effect. This helps reduce the duration of therapy and lower the adverse effects of these drugs.
Such synergistic combinations...

Antibiotic Selection

Antibiotic Selection

Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis

Inhibitors of Bacterial Protein Synthesis

Aminoglycosides constitute a highly potent class of bactericidal antibiotics that exert their antimicrobial effects by targeting the bacterial ribosome, specifically disrupting protein synthesis. These polycationic molecules consist of amino-modified sugars linked via glycosidic bonds to an aminocyclitol core such as 2-deoxystreptamine or streptamine. Their strong positive charges facilitate tight binding to the negatively charged phosphate backbone of ribosomal RNA (rRNA), primarily at the 16S...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Mothers' symptoms of anxiety and depression and the development of child temperament: A genetically informative, longitudinal investigation.

JCPP advances·2023

Depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK.

Psychological medicine·2022

A proteolytic enzyme treatment to improve Ulva laetevirens and Solieria chordalis seaweed co-product digestibility, performance, and health in broilers.

Poultry science·2022

Predicting prognosis for adults with depression using individual symptom data: a comparison of modelling approaches.

Psychological medicine·2021

Familial Influences on Neuroticism and Education in the UK Biobank.

Behavior genetics·2019

Rare variant analysis in multiply affected families, association studies and functional analysis suggest a role for the ITGΒ4 gene in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.

Schizophrenia research·2018

See all related articles