Two Common Antibiotics That Can Help Treat MRSA Infections

​Clindamycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) each can improve outcomes among patients with small skin abscesses involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), according to a June 29, 2017, study in the New England Journal of Medicine. Four of every 100 Americans seek treatment for skin infections each year, the authors said, but the most appropriate treatment strategy has not yet been defined. Both clindamycin and TMP-SMX are recommended for outpatient treatment of abscesses because of their low cost, the authors said, but data about their efficacy were limited. A multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of 786 patients revealed both treatments to be beneficial in treating small skin abscesses after drainage.