Use Of Daptomycin In The Treatment Of Prosthetic Joint Infections: A Prospective Observational Study Of 30 Patients With Infected Prosthetic Joint Infections

This prospective, observational study evaluated daptomycin, a lipopeptide antibiotic active against most Gram-positive bacteria, in prosthetic joint infections. Thirty patients received daptomycin for a mean of 37 days. Most patients received daptomycin 4 or 6 mg/kg/day as secondor third-line therapy after failing prior therapy; three patients with reduced renal capacity at baseline received 4 mg/kg q48h. At 6 to 12 months' posttreatment follow-up, 20 patients (66%) had no clinical, laboratory, or radiographic signs of recurrent infection. Ten patients (33%), all of whom were infected with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, failed therapy with daptomycin. Daptomycin was discontinued in one patient due to an elevated level of creatinine phosphokinase. These results suggest daptomycin is a viable alternative to vancomycin or vancomyin-containing combination regimens for prosthetic joint infections. Sources of support: Suresh J. Antony, MD: Travel Grant from Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Editorial assistance was provided by Phase Five Communications, Inc. New York, supported by Cubist Pharmaceuticals, Inc.