Open AccessPredicting Methicillin Resistance and the Effect of Inadequate Empiric Therapy on Survival in Patients With Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
Author(s) -
Mary-Claire Roghmann
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
archives of internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1538-3679
pISSN - 0003-9926
DOI - 10.1001/archinte.160.7.1001
Subject(s) - bacteremia , medicine , vancomycin , methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus , staphylococcus aureus , empiric therapy , antibiotics , retrospective cohort study , staphylococcal infections , intensive care medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , pathology , genetics , alternative medicine , bacteria , biology
The restriction of vancomycin hydrochloride use is recommended as a measure to decrease the emergence of vancomycin resistance in gram-positive organisms; however, vancomycin also is the treatment of choice for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections. If vancomycin use is restricted to patients with documented infections due to methicillin-resistant organisms, then patients with MRSA infections may not initially receive vancomycin. This study was performed to determine factors that predict MRSA bacteremia and if ineffective empiric antibiotic therapy increased the risk of death in patients with S aureus bacteremia.