Teicoplanin--domiciliary use in surgical infections

Abstract

This is an ongoing study designed to evaluate the role of teicoplanin in the therapy of sternal wound infections following cardiac surgery caused by Gram-positive microorganisms. Intravenous teicoplanin therapy is begun in the hospital, but once the patients return home it is given as a single intramuscular dose of 400 mg/day. Only a limited number of patients have been recruited so far, but in these, the clinical success rate and the bacteriological elimination rate are 85%. Only one patient had to be withdrawn from the study due to intolerable side-effects. These preliminary results suggest that teicoplanin is suitable for the therapy of chest wound infections following cardiac surgery; a major part of the course can be administered at home in a single daily intramuscular injection. This novel therapy regimen is expected to reduce considerably the hospital costs involved in the therapy of sternal wound infections.