Prospective randomized trial of empiric therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline for outpatient skin and soft tissue infections in an area of high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

To evaluate empirical therapy with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole or doxycycline for outpatient skin and soft tissue infections in an area of high prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, a randomized, prospective, open-label investigation was performed. The overall clinical failure rate was 9%, with all failures occurring in the trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole group. However, there was no significant difference between the clinical failure rate of empirical trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy and that of doxycycline therapy.