|  | Conditions Treatments | Infectious Diseases

Antibiotics Used to Treat Staph Infection in Young Children

Staph infections in children are similar in almost every way to those experienced by adults. Treatment is also the same, having been perfected and studied for decades. Antibiotics are the major line of defense against staph infections in children, and many forms and dosages are available for doctors. Growing resistance to past antibiotics has made treatment an ever-evolving field, with physicians and scientists always working to stay one step ahead.

  1. Staph Infections

    • A staph infection is the more common term for anyone with an infection caused by the staphylococcus group of bacteria. Illnesses range from mild that require no treatment, to the severe and potentially fatal. There are more than 30 types of these bacteria that can infect humans, and most reside in the nose or on the skin. In most cases this won't cause infection unless there is some injury or damage to the skin that allows in the bacteria to overcome the immune system. Infections usually start in the soft body tissues, but if not treated can lead to blood or bone infections, pneumonia or other deep tissue infections.

    Penicillin Based Antibiotics

    • In the 1940s, penicillin was the sole treatment for staph infections in children, but it didn't take long for that to become less useful due to resistance developed by the bacteria. Other antibiotic derivatives of penicillin were created like Methicillin and Didoxacillin, which are still used with some infections in children today. Although not always useful, many doctors will start treatment with one of these antibiotics before moving onto something else.

    Antistaphylococcal Antibiotics

    • These antibiotics come in oral and topical form. Creams like Bactroban and Altabax often have success on simple infections in children's smaller wounds. Combined with drainage, an oral antistaphylococcal and warm compresses, these creams will sometimes clear up a staph infection with ease. Oral antistaphylococcal antibiotics include Keflex and Duricef.

    Vancomycin

    • With resistance to antibiotics growing when dealing with staph bacteria in children, doctors eventually run through the more common antibiotics and treatments. In these cases, they may turn to the most recent antibiotic development, the much more powerful and more toxic Vancomycin. When confronted with more serious infections, treatments usually involve surgical drainage and Vancomycin in a controlled hospital environment.

    Conclusion

    • The field of staph infection treatment is always changing. With older drugs losing their usefulness with some types of infections, and newer ones requiring stronger and stronger capabilities, the work to protect today's children from staph infection is ongoing.

Infectious Diseases - Related Articles