antibotic resistant bacteria

My doctor told me that I could have a bacteria that is resistant to antibotics. What are the infections that could be antibotic (antibiotic) resistant? Sometimes I have a staph infection and usually azithromycin takes care of it, but I have had three doses of this drug and it has not cleared up. I have COPD which includes cronic (chronic) broncitis. Right now I am taking Biaxin but if this infection is antibotic (antibiotic) resistant will this drug do any good?

[J.M. Keyes, MD]

Basically any bacteria can become resistant to antibiotics, including Strep, which is a very common cause of chest infections (I'm assuming that's what you have because you mention you have COPD and are on Biaxin).  The Biaxin should help if your infection is bacterial and not resistant to this drug.  The other possibility is that you have a viral infection, in which case, antibiotics do nothing- they just need to run their course, with symptomatic treatment.

If your infection is lasting a very long time, and antibiotics aren't doing anything to help, you might want to talk to your doctor about further testing to make sure nothing else is going on.  

The FDA has a good patient information website on antibiotc resistance is you want to take a look- http://www.fda.gov/Fdac/features/795_antibio.html.

Hope you're feeling better soon.

JMK MD