Cefazolin or Nafcillin for Treatment of S. aureus Bacteremia?

In a retrospective study, treatment failure rates were similar between the two drugs, but adverse events were more common with nafcillin.

Either nafcillin or cefazolin can be used for treatment of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infections. Previous studies have indicated that cefazolin shows a considerable inoculum effect in up to 20% of MSSA strains and may be associated with clinical failure. However, the comparative clinical effectiveness of these two β-lactam antibiotics has not been well studied.

To that end, researchers retrospectively evaluated the outcomes of 133 patients who were treated with nafcillin or cefazolin for MSSA bacteremia at a South Korean hospital. Most of the patients (84) received standard treatment with nafcillin, but 49 received cefazolin during a period when nafcillin was unavailable.

Treatment failure rates for MSSA bacteremia …

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection