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Daptomycin and MRSA
- Several new antibiotics are approved for the treatment of infections due to MRSA: linezolid, daptomycin, and tigecycline.
- Although most are familiar with linezolid, it seems that both daptomycin and tigecycline are being used more frequently.
- A few pearls on daptomycin:
- administered IV once daily
- dose needs to be adjusted in patients with renal failure
- exerts its effect through a calcium-dependent binding to the bacterial membrane resulting in cell death
- Importantly, daptomycin is inactivated by pulmonary surfactant and therefore should not be given in patients with suspected MRSA pneumonia.
References
Stryjewski ME, Corey GR. New treatments for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Curr Opin Crit Care 2009;15:403-12.