What Researchers Did
Researchers diagnosed and treated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) osteomyelitis in five patients, using staged treatment protocols that included vancomycin and sometimes additional surgical debridement and hyperbaric oxygen.
What They Found
Osteomyelitis was arrested in five of seven episodes, with two patients requiring additional treatment for persistent infection. The minimum inhibitory concentration of vancomycin for MRSA ranged from 0.39 to 1.56 micrograms/ml, and 40% (two of five) patients receiving vancomycin plus tobramycin experienced reversible renal toxicity.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with MRSA osteomyelitis may benefit from vancomycin-based treatment, potentially combined with other antibiotics for polymicrobic infections. However, clinicians should be aware of the potential for renal toxicity when using vancomycin in combination with drugs like tobramycin, and monitor kidney function closely.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The primary limitation of this study is its very small sample size of only five patients, which limits the generalizability of the findings.