Dalbavancin Use in Vulnerable Patients Receiving Outpatient Parenteral Antibiotic Therapy for Invasive Gram-Positive Infections

• Published in: Infectious diseases and therapy Vol. 8; no. 2; pp. 171 - 184
• Main Authors: Bork, Jacqueline T., Heil, Emily L., Berry, Shanna, Lopes, Eurides, Davé, Rohini, Gilliam, Bruce L., Amoroso, Anthony
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cheshire Springer Healthcare 01.06.2019; Springer; Springer Nature B.V; Adis, Springer Healthcare
• Subjects: Analysis; Antibiotics; Care and treatment; Dalbavancin; Disease susceptibility; Drug approval; Health aspects; Infections; Infectious Diseases; Internal Medicine; Medical colleges; Medical research; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Medicine, Experimental; Methicillin; Metronidazole; Original Research; Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy; Patients; Renal function; Skin; Substance use disorder; Maryland; Substance use disorder; Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy; Dalbavancin
• DOI: 10.1007/s40121-019-0247-0
• ISSN: 2193-8229

Introduction Dalbavancin is approved for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) but offers a potential treatment option for complicated invasive gram-positive infections. Importantly, dalbavancin’s real benefits may be in treating complicated infections in vulnerable patient populations, such as persons who inject drugs (PWID). Methods A multicenter retrospective analysis was performed from March 2014 to April 2017 to assess 30- and 90-day clinical cure and adverse drug events (ADEs) in adult patients who received ≥ 1 dose of dalbavancin for a non-ABSSSI indication. Results During the study period, 45 patients received dalbavancin, 28 for a non-ABSSSI indication. The predominant infections treated included osteomyelitis (46%), endovascular infection (25%) and uncomplicated bacteremia (14%). Half of the patients had positive Staphylococcus aureus in cultures, 29% methicillin resistant and 21% methicillin susceptible. Most patients were prescribed dalbavancin as sequential treatment with a median of 13.5 days of prior antibiotic therapy. The most common reason for choosing dalbavancin over standard therapy use was PWID (54%). Seven patients were lost to follow-up at day 30. Of the remaining evaluable patients, 30-day clinical cure was achieved in 15/21 (71%) patients. The most common reason for failure was lack of source control (4/6, 67%). At day 90, relapse occurred in two patients. Three patients had a potential dalbavancin-associated ADE: two patients with renal dysfunction and one patient with pruritus. Conclusions This study demonstrates a possible role for dalbavancin in the treatment of non-ABSSSI invasive gram-positive infections in select vulnerable OPAT patients.