Beware of short-course therapy for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia without a removable cause

South Med J. 2000 Mar;93(3):319-20.

Abstract

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia has long been known to cause significant morbidity and mortality. The optimal treatment of this disease has evolved over the years. Recently, criteria have been established for the use of shorter courses of antibiotic therapy in certain patients, most notably those with an easily removed source of the bacteremia. We present the case of a 55-year-old man with S aureus bacteremia unrelated to an intravascular device. He was treated with "short-course" antibiotic therapy, and lumbar diskitis and an epidural abscess developed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Bacteremia / drug therapy*
  • Cefazolin / therapeutic use
  • Cephalosporins / therapeutic use
  • Clavulanic Acids / therapeutic use
  • Discitis / microbiology
  • Drug Therapy, Combination / therapeutic use*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / therapeutic use
  • Epidural Abscess / microbiology
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Foot Diseases / surgery
  • Humans
  • Lumbar Vertebrae / microbiology
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Osteomyelitis / surgery
  • Staphylococcal Infections / drug therapy*
  • Staphylococcus aureus
  • Ticarcillin / therapeutic use
  • Vancomycin / therapeutic use
  • beta-Lactamase Inhibitors

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Cephalosporins
  • Clavulanic Acids
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
  • Vancomycin
  • ticarcillin-clavulanic acid
  • Ticarcillin
  • Cefazolin