Linezolid versus vancomycin for skin and soft tissue infections

Clinical Impact of Staphylococcus aureus Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

The pathogenic bacterium Staphylococcus aureus is the most common pathogen isolated in skin-and-soft-tissue infections (SSTIs) in the United States. Most S. aureus SSTIs are caused by the epidemic clone USA300 in the USA. These infections can be serious; in 2019, SSTIs with S. aureus were associated with an all-cause, age-standardized mortality rate of 0.5 globally. Clinical presentations of S. aureus SSTIs vary from superficial infections with local symptoms to monomicrobial necrotizing fasciitis, which can cause systemic manifestations and may lead to serious complications or death. In order to cause skin infections, S. aureus employs a host of virulence factors including cytolytic proteins, superantigenic factors, cell wall-anchored proteins, and molecules used for immune evasion. The immune response to S. aureus SSTIs involves initial responders such as keratinocytes and neutrophils, which are supported by dendritic cells and T-lymphocytes later during infection. Treatment for S. aureus SSTIs is usually oral therapy, with parenteral therapy reserved for severe presentations; it ranges from cephalosporins and penicillin agents such as oxacillin, which is generally used for methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA), to vancomycin for methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Treatment challenges include adverse effects, risk for Clostridioides difficile infection, and potential for antibiotic resistance.

Role of Daptomycin in Cutaneous Wound Healing: A Narrative Review

Daptomycin is active against Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and the on-label indications for its use include complicated skin and skin structure infections (cSSSI). We performed a narrative review of the literature with the aim to evaluate the role of daptomycin in the skin wound healing process, proposing our point of view on the possible association with other molecules that could improve the skin healing process. Daptomycin may improve wound healing in MRSA-infected burns, surgical wounds, and diabetic feet, but further studies in humans with histological examination are needed. In the future, the combination of daptomycin with other molecules with synergistic action, such as vitamin E and derivates, IB-367, RNA III-inhibiting peptide (RIP), and palladium nanoflowers, may help to improve wound healing and overcome forms of antibiotic resistance.