European journal of clinical microbiology & infectious diseases : official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology
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Eur. J. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. Dis. · Apr 2007
Predictors of mortality in patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia: the role of empiric antibiotic therapy.
The objective of this study was to evaluate prognostic factors and the influence of different empiric antibiotic therapies on outcome and mortality in a cohort of 100 inpatients with bacteraemia (84 cases nosocomial) caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Patients were investigated by means of a standard protocol at a 944-bed hospital in the years 2000-2004. Empiric antibiotic therapies included vancomycin (n = 49), teicoplanin (n = 20), linezolid (n = 17), other antibiotics active in vitro (n = 7), and inactive antibiotics (n = 7). ⋯ In multivariate analysis limited to patients who received empiric therapy with either linezolid (n = 17) or glycopeptides (n = 69), linezolid was associated with greater rates of survival (OR 7.7; 95%CI 1.1-53) and microbiological eradication (OR 11.76; 95%CI 1.46-90.9) but not with fewer complications (OR 0.71; 95%CI 0.16-3.25). In conclusion, the main prognostic factors associated with mortality in patients with MRSA bacteraemia are complications, acute severe clinical condition at onset, and inappropriate empiric treatment. Empiric therapy with linezolid was associated with greater survival and more successful microbiological eradication but did not reduce complications.