How is staphylococcal carriage eliminated?

Standard treatment regimens, such as oral dicloxacillin, oral cephalexin, oral erythromycin, or even intravenous vancomycin, eliminate active infection but not staphylococcal carriage. The most commonly used regimen to eliminate staphylococcal carriage is rifampin in combination with dicloxacillin. Less common regimens utilize oral clindamycin, topical mupirocin ointment, or replacement of the microflora with a less pathogenic strain of S. aureus (strain 502A). The success of these regimens varies from 50% to 70%; however, recolonization is common.