LAB WORK
TREATMENT
CLINICAL NOTES
- Gram (+) clusters, coagulase (-)
TREATMENT
- Vancomycin (since most strains are methicillin-resistant)
- Vancomycin + Aminoglycoside +/- Rifampin can be used as synergistic therapy
- Rifampin is frequently added when prosthetic devices involved (consider removal of hardware as well)
CLINICAL NOTES
- Common contaminant of blood cultures
- Much less virulent than S. aureus (S. epidermidis does not produce exotoxins)
- Normal flora, tends to cause hospital-acquired infections (typically in patients with prosthetic material such as catheters, orthopedic hardware, or prosthetic heart valves)