What antibiotics are typical for a patient with septicemia, gram pos. cocci?

See below: One of my hospitalist colleagues will hopefully chime in on this one. Without knowing any details i think the patient should be covered for MRSA (methicillin resistant staph aureus). Therefore the following would be the best first choice: vancomycin ± gentamicin or rifampin. When further data comes in from the lab on the gram positive cocci then a different antibiotic might be a better choice.

Consider source: The source has a lot to do with the antibiotic. It is common to use a third generation cephalosporin and/or a quinolone. Vancomycin is an option if resistant staph is possible.

Depends on bug: Gram positive cocci can occur in pairs (usually pneumococci), chains (streptococci or enterococcus) or clusters (staphylococci). Empiric therapy depends on the type and whether the patient has penicillin allergy.