Clindamycin is usually thought of as the antibiotic to use in necrotizing fasciitis to reduce toxin production.
But linezolid and clindamycin both bind to the 50S subunit of bacterial ribosomes to inhibit protein synthesis.
Linezolid is a particularly interesting choice in infections with group A strep as the drug has both streptococcal bactericidal activity and antitoxin effects.
Additionally, necrotizing fasciitis may be caused by MRSA, which would also be covered by linezolid.
A case study published in 2017 describes the adjunct use of linezolid in successful treatment of necrotizing fasciitis and streptococcal toxic shock syndrome:
While the patient was hemodynamically stable, the patient’s wounds, leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia all progressively worsened. After initiation of linezolid, the patient slowly improved clinically.
To get a copy of my free visual critical care antibiotic guide to easily remember spectrum of activity go to pharmacyjoe.com/abx.
If you like this post, check out my book – A Pharmacist’s Guide to Inpatient Medical Emergencies: How to respond to code blue, rapid response calls, and other medical emergencies.
Leave a Reply