Abstract
BACKGROUND: The antibiotic of choice for methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) bacteremia is antistaphylococcal penicillins, such as oxacillin, but cefazolin has also risen as an equally effective alternative. Murine models have suggested that clindamycin is a therapeutic alternative for Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). METHODS: In this retrospective cohort study, patients from the Hospital Universitario San Vicente Fundación (HUSVF) in Medellín, Colombia, were recruited from January 2013 and December 2019. Patients with positive blood culture for MSSA, with at least one follow-up blood culture, and those with more than 72 hours of parenteral antibiotic therapy for SAB were selected. The main objective was to determine the efficacy of clindamycin compared to other antibiotics to achieve a microbiologic cure. Secondary results included in-hospital mortality and hospital stay. RESULTS: A total of 486 patients were included (clindamycin = 50 and other anti-MSSA = 436). The patients in the clindamycin group had a lower rate of microbiological cure (n = 41 [84%]) compared to other antibiotics (n = 367 [84%]) (OR 1.08 IC 95% 0.74-1.58). In secondary outcomes, no statistically significant differences were observed in the in-hospital mortality. The main source of SAB was a central or peripheral catheter (58%). CONCLUSIONS: Our study found no differences in the rate of microbiological cure, in-hospital mortality, and hospital stay on the clindamycin group compared to other anti-MSSA antibiotics. However, in patients with metastatic complications, the rate of microbiological cure is reduced, and the in-hospital mortality is higher in patients with more severe disease.