Clinical efficacy and safety profile of long-acting lipoglycopeptides versus daily intravenous antibiotics for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI): a retrospective study in Greece

Background The rising prevalence of antimicrobial resistance poses a significant challenge in clinical practice, with long-acting lipoglycopeptides (LGPs) offering an attractive alternative to conventional daily intravenous antibiotics. This study aims to evaluate the clinical efficacy, safety, and economic burden of LGPs in the treatment of skin and soft tissue infections.Methods This was a retrospective, single-centre, observational study including 125 patients with skin and soft tissue infections who were either treated with LGPs such as dalbavancin or oritavancin (Group A, n = 62), or with standard daily IV therapy including vancomycin, linezolid, or daptomycin (Group B, n = 63). The primary outcome was clinical improvement, while secondary outcomes included length of hospital stay, adverse events, and relapse rate during a 28-day period.Results The overall clinical success rate was comparable between the two groups (Group A: 95.1% vs. Group B: 92.0%, p = 0.11). However, patients treated with LGPs demonstrated a shorter median hospital stay (Group A: 5.5 days vs. Group B: 11.0 days, p < 0.001), which was also correlated with a lower average cost of hospitalization. Furthermore, the incidence of adverse events was lower in the LGP group (Group A: 8.06% vs. Group B: 25.4%).Conclusion Long-acting lipoglycopeptides demonstrated comparable clinical success rates to conventional daily intravenous antibiotics for the treatment of ABSSSI, with a ‘favorable safety profile.’ Moreover, the reduced cost and shorter hospitalization further support the use of LGPs as a safe and effective alternative for managing these infections.