What is the place of linezolid in the treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus nosocomial pneumonia and complicated skin and soft tissue infections in Europe?

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a major cause of human morbidity and mortality. MRSA emerged in the early 1960s following the introduction of semi-synthetic, b-lactamase stable penicillins such as methicillin [1]. During the mid-1980s, epidemic strains spread to hospitals throughout the world [2]. For nearly 30 years, MRSA was mainly restricted to hospitals, probably because it had a selective advantage compared with drug-susceptible wild-type S. aureus strains. In the 1990s MRSA was found in the community, in particular in (healthy) individuals who had no direct or indirect link with healthcare settings [3]. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, community-associated MRSA has been increasing at an alarming rate and has even reached countries that have not had major problems with health