Linezolid is a new oxazolidinone antibacterial agent with activity against many strains of Gram-positive bacteria which are resistant to numerous commonly used antibacterial agents. At present, the acquisition cost of linezolid is slightly greater than that of flucloxacillin or vancomycin, but this can be offset by increased efficacy, resulting in a reduction in the length of stay in hospital. At the 22nd International Congress of Chemotherapy held in Amsterdam, The Netherlands, in July, a poster presentation showed that when linezolid was used to treat patients with cellulitis, it proved more cost effective than either vancomycin or flucloxacillin.