Antibiotic treatment for MRSA up 8 percent

MALVERN, Pa., June 26 (UPI) -- Patients treated with antibiotics for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in U.S. hospitals increased 8 percent in one year, researchers said.

However, the study, completed by Arlington Medical Resources, a provider of market intelligence for the pharmaceutical and diagnostic imaging industries, found the average number of days of inpatient therapy per patient treated with an antibiotic associated with a positive culture for MRSA decreased by 10 percent during the study period of 2006 to 2007.

The U.S. Hospital Antibiotic Market Guide found that the most common infections among patients with a positive culture for MRSA were: 46 percent of patients had skin structure infections, 19 percent had systemic infections and 19 percent had lower respiratory infections.

The U.S. Hospital Antibiotic Market Guide allows pharmaceutical companies to quantify the clinical utilization of hospital antibiotics at a highly granular level in the United States.