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But wait until conditions are right to use this expensive treatment
SEATTLE - Linezolid (Zyvoxam) works better than several other antibiotics in treating foot ulcers in diabetics, a new study has found.
However, that doesn't mean physicians should consider linezolid at the first sign of foot trouble in these special patients.
"Because of the expense of the drug, its potential for (reversible) bone marrow toxicity when used for more than a few weeks, and wanting to avoid driving the development of resistance to this excellent drag, we do not use it indiscriminately," said Dr. Benjamin Lipsky of VA Puget Sound Health Care System here, and lead author of the study.
"I will use it for many patients with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as the cause of infection),...