6 Nov 2023 • In a 12-year-long study, researchers investigated the role of cefazolin as a potential first-line treatment for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) endocarditis. In the study using the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES), researchers evaluated the effectiveness of cefazolin in treating methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) and compared it with antistaphylococcal penicillins (ASP).

The prospective cohort study analyzed 631 IE cases, revealing that cefazolin, though used for patients with more comorbidities and previous renal issues, showed no significant differences in one-year mortality or relapse rates when compared to cloxacillin. Interestingly, patients treated with cloxacillin had higher rates of in-hospital mortality, potentially due to septic shock and renal issues.

The findings revealed that relapse & mortality rates for cefazolin were similar to standard treatments. Cefazolin exhibited lower toxicity compared to antistaphylococcal penicillins, making it a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE.

Source: International Journal of Infectious Diseases | Read full story