Combination Antibiotic Therapy for Staphylococcus Aureus Bacteremia

Summary

The purpose of this study is to see if, in selected patients with a serious bacterial infection of the bloodstream, treating the bacterial infection with a combination of antibiotics is more effective than treating the infection with a single antibiotic. Participants must have blood cultures which are positive for a certain type of bacteria.

Detailed Description

Staphyloccocus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a common infectious disease condition in hospitalized patients which is associated with significant morbidity, excessive costs, and high mortality, despite effective antibiotic therapy. This pragmatic study is designed to test the hypothesis that outcomes in adults hospitalized with SAB will be improved by using combination antibiotic therapy (CAT) as early, targeted therapy in a high-risk subgroup. A group of patients identified early in their course as meeting at least one high-risk criterion who have no contraindications will be treated with one of two antibiotic strategies commonly used within usual care, namely: 1) antibiotic monotherapy or 2) combination antibiotic therapy, depending on the random assignment for each hospital, each month. Low-risk patients will be treated per usual care. Data from all patients admitted to participating hospitals with SAB will be included in the analysis.

Eligibility Criteria

Interventions