Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, also known as MRSA, is a bacterial infection that resists certain antibiotics of the penicillin and cephalosporin class that would normally be used for a staph infection, according to the "New York Times" Health Guide. MRSA infections stem from a strain of Staphylococcus aureus that live on the skin and in the nasal airways. There are several antibiotics that are effective against these infections.
Vancomycin (Vancocin)
According to Drugs.com, vancomycin is an oral and intravenous prescription antibiotic that can treat serious or severe infections brought about by susceptible strains of methicillin-resistant staphylococcus bacteria. Adult patients receive the drug via a 60-minute intravenous drip every six hours. It is important that the drug not be administered too quickly during the intravenous treatment because rapid infusion can lead to excessively low blood pressure, shock, or even cardiac arrest. During therapy with vancomycin, the patient's doctor monitors kidney function, hearing, and white blood cell count. Common side effects include inflammation at the site of injection, itching, rash, hives, hearing loss, nausea, and difficulty breathing.
Daptomycin (Cubicin)
Daptomycin is a prescription, intravenous antibiotic that is in the cyclic lipopeptide class of drugs and can treat MRSA infections in the bloodstream, notes the Monthly Prescribing Reference. Adults with MRSA infections get a 30-minute intravenous infusion once every 24 hours for at least two to six weeks. This drug should not be used in children under the age of eighteen. During treatment with daptomycin, the patient's doctor monitors blood levels of the enzyme creatine phosphokinase every week to check for damage to the heart, brain, or muscle tissue. Daptomycin may cause side effects that include reactions at the site of injection, headache, insomnia, rash, abnormal liver function tests, urinary tract infection, and high or low blood pressure.
Linezolid (Zyvox)
According to the Antiinfective Drugs website, linezolid is the first representative of the oxazolidinone class of antibiotics, and it works by preventing the bacterium from synthesizing needed proteins. It is approved for the treatment of bacterial infections that include hospital-acquired pneumonia caused by MRSA and complicated skin infections caused by MRSA. Linezolid is available for both intravenous and oral therapy, and in most cases, patients begin treatment in a hospital setting. Having the oral treatment option allows patients to leave the hospital sooner than would be possible with an exclusively intravenous treatment. Patients with complicated skin and soft-tissue infections receive linezolid twice a day intravenously followed by twice daily oral therapy over the course of 10 to 21 days. Side effects may include headache, nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
