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What Medicine is Used for a Staph Infection?

Staphylococcus is a class of bacteria that can infect any area of the body. When this bacteria does cause an infection, it is typically called a staph infection. In healthy people, staph usually enters the body through a cut in the skin. It may cause a localized skin infection or it may enter the bloodstream and travel and infect the body internally. Staph infections may also be caused by use of invasive medical devices, such as urinary catheters.

  1. Features

    • The initial signs and symptoms of a staph infection of the skin and underlying structures may be redness, swelling and pain at the site. Internal, or systemic, staph infections may present with fever and general malaise.

    General Treatment

    • There are many antibiotics which are effective in treating staph infections, such as clindamycin, cefazolin and nafcillin. Unless the infection is severe, the antibiotics are given in pill form.

    Skin Staph Infection

    • A topical antibiotic, such a bactroban, may be used to treat mild cases of staph infection of the skin. It may be combined with oral antibiotics.

    MRSA Infection

    • MRSA is a type of staph infection which is resistant to many antibiotics, which makes treatment more difficult. Antibiotics such as vancomycin and rifampin are administered intravenously, or by IV, to treat this type of staph infection.

    Considerations

    • Until lab tests confirm a diagnosis of staph infection, a physician may use one of the general treatment oral antibiotics. Should MRSA be diagnosed, IV antibiotics will be administered either as an outpatient treatment or upon hospital admission.

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