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Daptomycin for eradication of a systemic infection with a methicillin-resistant-Staphylococcus aureus in a

Florian Weis1, Andres Beiras-Fernandez, Ingo Kaczmarek

  • 1Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital Grosshadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany. florian.weis@med.uni-muenchen.de

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery
|June 26, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Ventricular assist device infections are common. A patient with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) sepsis, resistant to standard therapy, was successfully treated with daptomycin.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Ventricular assist devices (VADs) are critical for end-stage heart failure.
  • Infection rates in VAD recipients exceed 35%, posing significant risks.
  • Multi-resistant organisms like MRSA complicate VAD-associated infections.

Observation:

  • A 65-year-old male with dilatative cardiomyopathy received a biventricular assist device.
  • The patient developed MRSA sepsis resistant to conventional antibiotic treatments.
  • This MRSA infection presented a high mortality risk.

Findings:

  • Daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic, is effective against resistant Gram-positive bacteria.
  • The patient's MRSA sepsis was successfully treated with daptomycin.
  • This suggests daptomycin as a viable therapeutic option for VAD-associated MRSA infections.

Implications:

  • Daptomycin may offer a crucial treatment alternative for VAD patients with resistant infections.
  • Successful daptomycin use could improve outcomes and reduce mortality in this vulnerable population.
  • Further research into daptomycin's role in VAD infections is warranted.

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