Linezolid: Its Role in the Treatment of Gram-Positive, Drug-Resistant Bacterial Infections. From: American Family Physician | Date: February 15, 2002| Author: AMENT, PAUL W.; JAMSHED, NAMIRAH; HORNE, JOHN P. | COPYRIGHT 2002 American Academy of Family Physicians. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

While the choices available for the management of gram-positive, drug-resistant bacterial infections are becoming limited, antimicrobial resistance is becoming increasingly problematic because of the widespread overuse of antibiotics. Linezolid is a synthetic antibiotic belonging to a new class of antimicrobials called the oxazolidinones. Linezolid disrupts bacterial growth by inhibiting the initiation process of protein synthesis--a mechanism of action that is unique to this class ...