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In a previous study of antibiotic therapy for adults with uncomplicated skin abscesses who underwent incision and drainage, the clinical cure rates with cephalexin and placebo were similar — about 85% (JW Infect Dis Nov 7 2007); however, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) — which is resistant to cephalexin — was isolated from most patients in that study. Now, researchers have performed a similar randomized trial using trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) in 212 adults with uncomplicated skin abscesses who presented to emergency departments at four military hospitals.
After incision and drainage, patients received 7-day courses of TMP-SMX or placebo. MRSA, always sensitive to TMP-SMX, was isolated in 53% of cases. Treatment…