Sequential Intravenous to Oral Treatment of MRSA Bacteremia

At least 14 days of intravenous antibiotic treatment is recommended by current guidelines for S. aureus bloodstream infections (BSI) in general, and for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) BSI in particular, to ensure eradication of deep-seated foci (excluding endocarditis). Either prolonged hospitalization or outpatient parenteral therapy is required, but both involve inconvenience and risks of long-term IV access. To test whether switching from IV to oral antibiotics with high oral bioavailability is an option in stable patients, investigators conducted a retrospective single-center study involving patients with MRSA BSI discharged between 2008 and 2018 sufficiently stable to complete antibiotic treatment as outpatients.

Of …