Combination therapy with daptomycin, vancomycin, and rifampin for recurrent, severe bone and prosthetic joint infections involving methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus

Empyema necessitans caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a case report and literature review

BACKGROUND

Empyema necessitans (EN) is a rare condition characterized by pleural infection with pus spreading into adjacent soft tissues. Although Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Actinomyces israelii are common causative agents, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is relatively rare, but it is associated with high mortality in empyema cases. We aimed to report a unique case of EN caused by MRSA and present a literature review to better understand this rare condition.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 69-year-old man with a history of right ureteral stone presented with fever and left anterior thoracic pain. A physical examination revealed redness and swelling in the left thoracic region. Imaging studies confirmed EN with fluid accumulation around the sternocostal joint of the left first rib. MRSA was identified from blood and pleural fluid cultures. The patient received antimicrobial therapy, and a chest tube was inserted for drainage. Despite initial improvement, vertebral osteomyelitis was diagnosed on day 17. The antimicrobials were subsequently terminated after 6 weeks, but vertebral osteomyelitis recurred, and treatment was resumed and completed on day 215.

CONCLUSION

EN caused by MRSA is rare, and the literature review revealed 14 cases from human sources. Positive blood cultures were observed in 40% of cases, and metastatic infections were present in 30% of cases. Osteomyelitis was the most common type of metastatic lesion. All the patients underwent drainage. Patients with MRSA-associated EN frequently develop disseminated lesions and should therefore be carefully examined. Moreover, appropriate treatment with antibiotics and drainage is necessary for a good prognosis. Although the prognosis appeared to be favorable in our review, publication bias and treatment challenges for metastatic infections should be considered.

Current therapies and challenges for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus biofilm-related infections

Staphylococcus aureus is a major cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections and contributes to significant increase in morbidity and mortality especially when associated with medical devices and in biofilm form. Biofilm structure provides a pathway for the enrichment of resistant and persistent phenotypes of S. aureus leading to relapse and recurrence of infection. Minimal diffusion of antibiotics inside biofilm structure leads to heterogeneity and distinct physiological activity. Additionally, horizontal gene transfer between cells in proximity adds to the challenges associated with eradication of biofilms. This narrative review focuses on biofilm-associated infections caused by S. aureus, the impact of environmental conditions on biofilm formation, interactions inside biofilm communities, and the clinical challenges that they present. Conclusively, potential solutions, novel treatment strategies, combination therapies, and reported alternatives are discussed.

Treatment strategies for persistent methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE

Treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia is a long-standing challenge to health care, often complicated by metastatic infections, treatment failure and mortality. When MRSA bacteraemia persists despite adequate initial treatment, current Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines recommend evaluation and removal of possible sources of infection. In addition, a change in therapy may be considered. The objective of this review was to explore the therapeutic options for the treatment of persistent MRSA bacteraemia.

METHODS

A literature search of PubMed, MEDLINE and Google Scholar was performed using the following search terms: [methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus OR MRSA] AND [bacteraemia OR bloodstream infection] AND [persistent OR persistence OR refractory OR treatment failure OR salvage] AND treatment. We evaluated relevant, adult, English-language, peer-reviewed studies published between 1985 and May 2018. In vitro and animal studies were considered as supportive of in vivo data.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Randomized, controlled trials are lacking. However, case series and case reports support multiple treatment options including high-dose daptomycin in combination with an antistaphylococcal β-lactam, ceftaroline, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) or fosfomycin; ceftaroline alone or in combination with vancomycin or TMP-SMX; linezolid alone or in combination with a carbapenem, or telavancin.

WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION

Given the heterogeneity of the data, a preferred regimen has not emerged. Prescribers must take into consideration recent exposure, source control, and available synergy and clinical data. Further comparative trials are needed to establish a preferred regimen and the creation of a universal treatment algorithm.

Role of Suppressive Oral Antibiotics in Orthopedic Hardware Infections for Those Not Undergoing Two-Stage Replacement Surgery

Suppressive oral antibiotics for at least three months, but not at least six months, are associated with treatment success at one year post-diagnosis of orthopedic hardware infection.

Background. The use of suppressive antibiotics in treatment of orthopedic hardware infections (OHIs), including spinal hardware infections, prosthetic joint infections, and infections of internal fixation devices, is controversial.

Methods. Over a 4-year period at 2 academic medical centers, patients with OHI who were treated with debridement and retention of hardware components, with single-stage exchange, or without surgery were studied to determine whether use of oral antibiotics for at least 6 months after diagnosis impacts successful treatment of the infection at 1 year after diagnosis.

Results. Of 89 patients in the study, 42 (47.2%) were free of clinical infection 1 year after initial diagnosis. Suppressive antibiotics used for at least 6 months after diagnosis was not associated with being free of clinical infection (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 5.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], .74–37.80), but being on suppressive antibiotics at least 3 months after diagnosis was associated with being free of clinical infection (OR, 3.50; 95% CI, 1.30–9.43). Causative organisms impacted the likelihood of success; patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus as well as with Gram-negative rods were both less likely to have achieved clinical success at 1 year after surgery (aOR = 0.018, 95% CI = .0017–.19 and aOR = 0.20, 95% CI = .039–.99, respectively).

Conclusions. Oral suppressive antibiotic therapy in treatment of OHI with retention of hardware for 3 months, but not 6 months, postdiagnosis increases the likelihood of treatment success. The organisms implicated in the infection directly impact the likelihood of treatment success.

Managing skin and soft-tissue infection and nosocomial pneumonia caused by MRSA: a 2014 follow-up survey

As a follow-up to our 2009 survey, in order to explore opinion and practice on the epidemiology and management of meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in Europe, we conducted a second survey to elicit current opinions on this topic, particularly around antibiotic choice, dose, duration and route of administration. We also aimed to further understand how the management of MRSA has evolved in Europe during the past 5 years. Members of an expert panel of infectious diseases specialists convened in London (UK) in January 2014 to identify and discuss key issues in the management of MRSA. Following this meeting, a survey was developed comprising 36 questions covering a wide range of topics on MRSA complicated skin and soft-tissue infection and nosocomial pneumonia management. The survey instrument, a web-based questionnaire, was sent to the International Society of Chemotherapy for distribution to registered European infection societies and their members. This article reports the survey results from the European respondents. At the time of the original survey, the epidemiology of MRSA varied significantly across Europe and there were differing views on best practice. The current findings suggest that the epidemiology of healthcare-associated MRSA in Europe is, if anything, even more polarised, whilst community-acquired MRSA has become much more common. However, there now appears to be a much greater knowledge of current treatment/management options, and antimicrobial stewardship has moved forward considerably in the 5 years since the last survey.

Impact of the combination of daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole on clinical outcomes in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections

Complicated Staphylococcus aureus infections, including bacteremia, are often associated with treatment failures, prolonged hospital stays, and the emergence of resistance to primary and even secondary therapies. Daptomycin is commonly used as salvage therapy after vancomycin failure for the treatment of methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) infections. Unfortunately, the emergence of daptomycin resistance, especially in deep-seated infections, has been reported, prompting the need for alternative or combination therapy. Numerous antibiotic combinations with daptomycin have been investigated clinically and in vitro. Of interest, the combination of daptomycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP-SMX) has proved to be rapidly bactericidal in vitro to strains that are both susceptible and nonsusceptible to daptomycin. However, to date, there is limited clinical evidence supporting the use of this combination. This was a multicenter, retrospective case series of patients treated with the combination of daptomycin and TMP-SMX for at least 72 h. The objective of this study was to describe the safety and effectiveness of this regimen in clinical practice. The most commonly stated reason that TMP-SMX was added to daptomycin was persistent bacteremia and/or progressive signs and symptoms of infection. After the initiation of combination therapy, the median time to clearance of bacteremia was 2.5 days. Microbiological eradication was demonstrated in 24 out of 28 patients, and in vitro synergy was demonstrated in 17 of the 17 recovered isolates. Further research with this combination is necessary to describe the optimal role and its impact on patient outcomes.

Diagnosis and management of prosthetic joint infection: clinical practice guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America

These guidelines are intended for use by infectious disease specialists, orthopedists, and other healthcare professionals who care for patients with prosthetic joint infection (PJI). They include evidence-based and opinion-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of patients with PJI treated with debridement and retention of the prosthesis, resection arthroplasty with or without subsequent staged reimplantation, 1-stage reimplantation, and amputation.

[Daptomycin for the treatment of gram-positive infections after cardiac surgery]

BACKGROUND AND METHOD

Surgical infection remains a main cause of death after heart surgery, despite advances in pharmacological therapy. Daptomycin is a cyclic lipopeptide antibiotic, useful in gram-positive organisms resistant to standard treatment, including vancomycin. The aim of this study was to describe the use of daptomycin regarding efficacy, efficiency and safety in patients with gram-positive infections after heart surgery using a retrospective analysis on 49 adult patients.

CONCLUSION

Daptomycin shows excellent in vitro and in vivo activity against gram-positive organisms, such as Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, especially MRSA. Daptomycin is also effective against increasing vancomycin-resistant or vancomycin-intermediate S. aureus.

Consensus document on controversial issues in the diagnosis and treatment of prosthetic joint infections

BACKGROUND

Joint replacement surgery has been on the increase in recent decades and prosthesis infection remains the most critical complication. Many aspects of the primary prevention and clinical management of such prosthesis infections still need to be clarified.

CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES

The aim of this GISIG (Gruppo Italiano di Studio sulle Infezioni Gravi) working group - a panel of multidisciplinary experts - was to define recommendations for the following controversial issues: (1) Is a conservative surgical approach for the management of prosthetic joint infections effective? (2) Is the one-stage or the two-stage revision for the management of prosthetic joint infections more effective? (3) What is the most effective treatment for the management of prosthetic joint infections due to methicillin-resistant staphylococci? Results are presented and discussed in detail.

METHODS

A systematic literature search using the MEDLINE database for the period 1988 to 2008 of randomized controlled trials and/or non-randomized studies was performed. A matrix was created to extract evidence from original studies using the CONSORT method to evaluate randomized clinical trials and the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale for case-control studies, longitudinal cohorts, and retrospective studies. The GRADE method for grading quality of evidence and strength of recommendation was applied.

Daptomycin: a novel lipopeptide antibiotic against Gram-positive pathogens

The aim of this review is to summarize the historical background of drug resistance of Gram-positive pathogens as well as to describe in detail the novel lipopeptide antibiotic daptomycin. Pharmacological and pharmacokinetic aspects are reviewed and the current clinical use of daptomycin is presented. Daptomycin seems to be a reliable drug in the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, infective right-sided endocarditis, and bacteremia caused by Gram-positive agents. Its unique mechanism of action and its low resistance profile, together with its rapid bactericidal action make it a favorable alternative to vancomycin in multi-drug resistant cocci. The role of daptomycin in the treatment of prosthetic material infections, osteomyelitis, and urogenital infections needs to be evaluated in randomized clinical trials.

Rifampin combination therapy for nonmycobacterial infections

The increasing emergence of antimicrobial-resistant organisms, especially methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), has resulted in the increased use of rifampin combination therapy. The data supporting rifampin combination therapy in nonmycobacterial infections are limited by a lack of significantly controlled clinical studies. Therefore, its current use is based upon in vitro or in vivo data or retrospective case series, all with major limitations. A prominent observation from this review is that rifampin combination therapy appears to have improved treatment outcomes in cases in which there is a low organism burden, such as biofilm infections, but is less effective when effective surgery to obtain source control is not performed. The clinical data support rifampin combination therapy for the treatment of prosthetic joint infections due to methicillin-sensitive S. aureus (MSSA) after extensive debridement and for the treatment of prosthetic heart valve infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. Importantly, rifampin-vancomycin combination therapy has not shown any benefit over vancomycin monotherapy against MRSA infections either clinically or experimentally. Rifampin combination therapy with daptomycin, fusidic acid, and linezolid needs further exploration for these severe MRSA infections. Lastly, an assessment of the risk-benefits is needed before the addition of rifampin to other antimicrobials is considered to avoid drug interactions or other drug toxicities.

Limitations of antibiotic options for invasive infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: is combination therapy the answer?

Invasive infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), particularly those involving persistent bacteraemia, necrotizing pneumonia, osteomyelitis and other deep-seated sites of infections, are associated with high mortality and are often difficult to treat. The response to treatment of severe MRSA infection with currently available antibiotics active against MRSA is often unsatisfactory, leading some physicians to resort to combination antibiotic therapy. Now, with the emergence of community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA) clones that display enhanced virulence potentially related to up-regulated toxin production, the use of adjuvant protein synthesis-inhibiting antibiotics to reduce toxin production also has been advocated by some experts. In this review, we discuss the limitations of antibiotics currently available for the treatment of serious invasive MRSA infections and review the existing literature that examines the potential role of combination therapy in these infections.

Long-term use of daptomycin for MRSA osteomyelitis and joint infection

This case describes almost continual daptomycin use for approximately 18 months in a patient with osteomyelitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The case is notable for only a brief episode of myalgia-associated creatine kinase elevations, which quickly resolved. Daptomycin demonstrated efficacy against this strain, which was tolerant to other antibiotics.

Daptomycin

There has been a steady rise in the prevalence of resistant Gram-positive pathogens and concerns about the clinical effectiveness of glycopeptides in treating infections due to Staphylococcus aureus. Daptomycin is a novel lipopeptide antimicrobial agent with activity against Gram-positive organisms, including multi-resistant strains. It is licensed in the USA and Europe for the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections caused by Gram-positive organisms at a dose of 4mg/kg once daily. It has also been licensed in the USA for the treatment of S. aureus bacteraemia and right-sided endocarditis at 6mg/kg once daily. It is a safe and well-tolerated antibiotic, particularly at the current dosing regimen. Antimicrobial resistance, whilst being increasingly reported, still remains relatively rare. Further studies are required to determine the role of daptomycin for the treatment of osteomyelitis and septic arthritis, as well as its use in combination therapy.

Daptomycin: a rapidly bactericidal lipopeptide for the treatment of Gram-positive infections

Antimicrobial resistance among Gram-positive organisms continues to increase and has reached epidemic proportions in a number of countries and within medical centers worldwide. Daptomycin is a new lipopeptide antibiotic with rapid bactericidal activity against Staphylococcus aureus. It is also active against coagulase-negative staphylococci, enterococci and streptococci. It exerts its effect through cell membrane disruption that results in dissipation of the membrane potential. Daptomycin exhibits a prolonged postantibiotic effect and is well tolerated. In Phase III clinical trials, daptomycin was found to be similar in efficacy to standard therapy in complicated skin and skin structure infections. More recently, it was approved for the treatment of S. aureus bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis. Daptomycin is not indicated for pulmonary infections. Preliminary data suggest that daptomycin may be effective in urinary tract, bone and joint infections. However, randomized clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings. Daptomycin is an effective antimicrobial agent for the treatment of various serious Gram-positive infections, especially those caused by methicillin-resistant S. aureus.

Daptomycin for treatment of patients with bone and joint infections: a systematic review of the clinical evidence

The treatment of bone and joint infections, mainly caused by Gram-positive pathogens, can be difficult and quite challenging since it frequently involves prolonged administration of antibiotics as well as appropriate surgical procedures. First-line drugs have failed in some cases to cure the underlying infection. We performed a systematic review of the available evidence to clarify further the effectiveness and safety of daptomycin in the treatment of bone and joint infections. Cure of infection was achieved in 43/53 cases (81.1%). The results of the reviewed articles are promising with regard to the effectiveness and safety profile of this new antibiotic for bone and joint infections that are not responsive to other traditionally used antimicrobial agents. Although these reports are encouraging, the relatively frequent emergence of antimicrobial resistance associated with prolonged administration of daptomycin should be considered seriously.

Daptomycin in the treatment of skin, soft-tissue and invasive infections due to Gram-positive bacteria

Daptomycin is a lipopeptide antibiotic that exhibits bactericidal activity against a range of Gram-positive bacterial pathogens including strains resistant to other antibiotics, such as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Daptomycin is licensed both in the USA and Europe for the treatment of complicated skin and skin-structure infections and in the USA this has recently been expanded to include bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis due to Staphylococcus aureus. A marketing authorization application for this indication is currently under consideration by the European Medicines Agency. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of daptomycin allow for once-daily dosing, although it is recommended that the dosing interval be increased to 2 days in patients with renal impairment. Clinical data generally indicate that daptomycin is well tolerated, but nonetheless concerns persist regarding potential muscle toxicity. Emergence of resistance to daptomycin has been reported, highlighting the need for prospective surveillance to determine the extent of this potential problem.