BMJ  2006;333:397 (19 August), doi:10.1136/bmj.333.7564.397-b

Letter

Treatment of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR—In his editorial on Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia Paul says that some doubt remains about the optimal duration of antibiotic treatment.1 A prospective study of 278 cases of S aureus bacteraemia (mainly methicillin sensitive strains) looked at potential risk factors and outcome, using multiple regression analysis.2 Factors related to death were duration of treatment less than 14 days, an uneradicated focus, septic shock, total daily dose of flucloxacillin < 4 g, and age 60 years or more. Anecdotally, treatment of S aureus is often stopped before 14 days, as the patient seems to have recovered, and the requirement for this minimum length of treatment is not widely appreciated.


Figure Removed (Available Only in the Full Text)
 Credit: CDC/SPL

 

Close liaison between infection specialists (microbiologists and infectious disease doctors) and clinicians also needs to be emphasised. In a study of 244 patients with S aureus bacteraemia, clinical outcome was improved (better eradication of S aureus and less relapses . . . [Full text of this article]

Charis Marwick, specialist registrar infectious diseases

Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY

William J Olver, consultant microbiologist

william.olver@nhs.net Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee DD1 9SY


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

Relevant Article

Surveillance and management of all types of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia
John Paul
BMJ 2006 333: 269-270. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Access jobs at BMJ Careers
Whats new online at Student BMJ