linezolid for Bacterial Skin Diseases

In this pilot study, the objective is to determine the prevalence of asymptomatic carriage of S. aureus in patients with ABSSSIs and minor cutaneous abscesses after therapy with either linezolid or clindamycin at 40 days after the completion of therapy. Secondarily, the investigators will assess the efficacy of linezolid vs. clindamycin in the empiric therapy of ABSSSIs and minor cutaneous abscesses, as well as the genotypic spectrum of S. aureus isolates causing ABSSSIs or minor cutaneous abscesses and colonization in the target patient population before and after therapy. Given the results of a recent study on linezolid and vancomycin and the investigator's own experience, it is hypothesized that persistent MRSA carriage will be less common after therapy with linezolid for ABSSSIs and minor cutaneous abscesses than it is with oral clindamycin.