Vancomycin is usually used to treat which type of infections?

Vancomycin is an antibiotic that is primarily used to treat serious or life-threatening bacterial infections. It is particularly effective against Gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and enterococci, which are known to cause severe infections that can be challenging to treat with other antibiotics.

The use of vancomycin is typically reserved for cases where other treatment options may not be suitable due to resistance or the severity of the infection. For instance, it is often administered in settings such as hospitals where patients might have acquired difficult infections that are not easily addressed with standard antibiotics.

In contrast, fungal infections require antifungal agents, viral infections are treated with antiviral drugs, and infections caused by Chlamydia are treated with specific antibiotics that target these organisms, such as azithromycin or doxycycline. Thus, vancomycin's primary role as an antibiotic for life-threatening bacterial infections positions it as the correct choice in this context.