Ortho-McNeil, Inc.

http://www.ortho-mcneil.com

Inappropriate Initial Antibiotic Treatment May Extend Stays for Patients with Healthcare-Associated Skin Infections

Friday 30th of October 2009 12:30

Study Methods and Key Results

The study, conducted by the Henry Ford Health System with a grant from Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC, is an analysis of administrative and medical records of 368 patients hospitalized between late 2005 and 2008 with an admission diagnosis of a cSSTI. Patients were classified as having healthcare associated infections (HCAI) if they were: 1) recently hospitalized; 2) immunocompromised; 3) on hemodialysis; or 4) admitted from nursing home. All others were classified as having community-acquired infections (CAI). Initial empiric therapy (IET) was considered appropriate if antibiotics active against the infecting pathogen(s) were administered within 24 hours of admission.

Among patients with SSTIs whose infection was confirmed by culture ("culture-positive"), those who acquired an infection in a hospital or healthcare setting were more likely to be treated inappropriately than those who acquired an infection in a community setting (35.2% vs. 20.5%, p<0.01). Additionally, when other risk factors were adjusted, patients who received inappropriate initial therapy stayed in the hospital an average of nearly six days longer than patients who received appropriate initial therapy.

Moreover, the study showed that S. aureus was the most common pathogen in patients with both HCAI (55.6%) as well as CAI (58.2%), and the majority of these were methicillin-resistant S. aureus, commonly referred to as MRSA (73.4% in HCAI and 64.8% in CAI). MRSA represents a growing healthcare concern and has become an increasingly common cause of SSTIs, as evidenced by the prevalence of MRSA in this study.

Dr. Zervos is a principal investigator for the study and a paid consultant retained by Ortho-McNeil Janssen Scientific Affairs, LLC.

*Empiric treatment is defined as antibiotics prescribed prior to the identification of the causative pathogen(s) by culture results.

About Ortho-McNeil

Ortho-McNeil, Inc. is committed to providing innovative, high-quality prescription medicines, education and resources for patients, healthcare providers, and other members of the healthcare community in primary care, specialty and hospital settings. Based in Raritan, NJ, the company specializes in the areas of gastrointestinal and infectious diseases, pain management, women's health and urology, and has broad interest in other therapeutic categories. For more information, visit www.ortho-mcneil.com.

(1) DiNubile MJ, Lipsky BA. Complicated Infections of skin and skin structures: when the infection is more than skin deep. JAC. 2004;53

(2) Halem M., et al. 2006. Community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus skin infections. Semin. Cutan. Med. Surg. 25:68-71

(3) Kluytmans-Vandenbergh M.F., et al. 2006. Community-acquired methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: current perspectives. Clin. Microbiol. Infect. 12 Suppl 1:9-15

(4) Kollef M.H., and S.T. Micek. 2006. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus: a new community acquired pathogen? Curr. Opin. Infect. Dis. 19:161-168

Media Contact: Amy Firsching, 908-218-7583

SOURCE Ortho-McNeil, Inc.

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