[Role of ceftaroline in skin and soft tissue infections]

Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) are relatively common. Although most of these infections are mild, a few are severe, requiring hospital admission for intravenous antimicrobial therapy and, fairly frequently, surgery. These infections can be produced by any microorganism, but the most frequent is Staphylococcus aureus. Traditionally, the bacteria causing community-acquired SSTI have been sensitive to antimicrobial agents but this situation has changed with the dissemination of community-acquired microbial resistance, as has occurred in many countries with the increase in methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). These changes complicate empirical therapy and increase the risk of monotherapy being insufficient to cover all the diagnostic possibilities of SSTI. Within this epidemiological framework, ceftaroline, because of its activity against MRSA, can be used as empirical monotherapy for SSTI.