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Actually, necrotizing fasciitis does not respond well to abx, it is difficult to get good levels in the devitalized (dead) tissues. Primary treatment is surgical to remove the dead tissue, then antibiotics can be given. Usually a large amount of tissue has to be removed.

On the other hand, resistant staph is always suspected in hospital infections, and treatment is begun in most cases before the cultures are even back. This infection is often cured with appropriate treatment, the exception is in the patient that is already morbidly ill or has a compromised immune system.

Thank you for clearing that up. There is so much media attention being given to CA-MRSA now that learning the truth is not easy. In last week's WSJ, they did a front page article on CA-MRSA and how the US Centers for Disease Control and prevention are calling it a silent epidemic. The WSJ also reported that there is little consensus on how to treat it and that it's even more confounding because it can strike healthy patients at random.

Just more hype or something to be truly concerned about? I have two people in my family who are alive today because of vancomycin. Their doctor called it the court of last appeal. It was discovered around 40 years ago. Hopefully, there are some new antibiotics in the pipeline that can treat these super-bugs. I had a research scientists for a drug company tell me once that it wasn't the meek who would inherit the earth, it was the bugs.