Does Ceftaroline Perform Better Than Vancomycin for MRSA Bacteremia?

In patients with low-risk MRSA bacteremia, ceftaroline did not offer therapeutic benefits over vancomycin.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteremia presents considerable ongoing challenges: Risk for death within the first month after infection continues to be as high as 30%, largely unchanged over recent decades. The slowness of therapeutic advancement hinges on the fact that vancomycin, despite its shortcomings, continues to be a cornerstone first-line therapy for patients with MRSA bacteremia regardless of severity. Ceftaroline — a cephalosporin with activity against MRSA — may be poised to advance the treatment of MRSA bacteremia, particularly in cases with endocarditis.

In a retrospective cohort study, Bitterman et al. matched 45 patients with MRSA bacteremia who received ceftaroline to 83 patients who received vancomycin…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases