Algorithm may reduce antibiotics for staph bloodstream infections

A new study investigating the appropriate duration of antibiotics for staphylococcal bloodstream infections has found that use of an algorithm to guide treatment could aid antibiotic stewardship efforts.

The results of the randomized clinical trial, published today in JAMA, showed that use of the algorithm, when compared with the usual standard of care, resulted in a non-inferior rate of clinical success in patients with staphylococcal bacteremia, and was not significantly associated with more infection-related serious adverse events. In patients with simple and uncomplicated infections, the duration of antibiotic therapy was reduced by nearly 2 days compared with usual care.

The authors of the study note that while staphylococci are the most commonly identified pathogens in bloodstream infections, the optimal duration of antibiotic therapy for bacteremia caused by Staphylococcus aureus or coagulase-negative staphylococci is unknown, and current treatment recommendations are based on limited evidence. As a result, treatment practices vary considerably, which can in some cases lead to unnecessarily prolonged antibiotic use.

“Any reductions in the use of antibiotics to treat these infections would be a significant benefit in our effort to fight antibiotic resistance, particularly when these measures can be undertaken without harm to patients,” lead author Thomas Holland, MD, of Duke University Medical Center said in a hospital press release.

Source: CIDRAP