Similar Efficacy of Ceftaroline and Vancomycin in Treating Complicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
A comparative study presented MAD-ID, The Antimicrobial Stewardship Meeting examining the effectiveness of ceftaroline and vancomycin in addressing this challenge.
Women scratching at her skin infection on her hand.
Image Credits: Unsplash
Complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs), especially those caused by resistant pathogens like MRSA, pose a significant challenge in clinical management. The study findings suggest that ceftaroline and vancomycin demonstrate similar clinical cure rates for cSSTIs, despite potential differences in disease severity. While vancomycin led to shorter median hospital stays (3.9 days vs. 9 days for ceftaroline), no significant differences were observed in 30-day readmission rates, recurrence, time to oral antibiotic switch, or nephrotoxicity between the two treatment groups.
Despite numerically higher disease severity scores in the ceftaroline group, clinical cure rates remained comparable, with 88.7% for ceftaroline and 90.6% for vancomycin. Analysis of baseline characteristics revealed similarities between the two treatment groups, including median ages, body mass indexes (BMI), Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) scores, and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) scores.
The study conducted an interim analysis involving 106 individuals. The cohort consisted of adults diagnosed with cSSTIs who received at least 48 hours of either ceftaroline or vancomycin treatment and were discharged alive. Patients requiring prolonged antibiotic courses, combination therapy, pregnancy, or those incarcerated were excluded from the analysis.
In conclusion, further investigation into the full sample is warranted to comprehensively assess the efficacy and safety of both treatment modalities in managing cSSTIs caused by resistant pathogens like MRSA. This study holds promise for clinicians seeking optimized therapeutic strategies for challenging cSSTI cases.
