Scroll Up
Scroll Down
Play Play Play Play
Unregistered User
Click here if this is not your Personal Edition
 
Contact Us | Free E-Mail Updates | Journals | Register a colleague
 
 
Bacterial Infections
 
   
 
SEARCH   
Doctor's Guide Free CME
Medline
Congress Resource Centre
 

 EXPLORE :
   Most Read News
 All News  All News
 All Webcasts / CME  All Webcasts / CME
 All Cases  All Cases
 Congress Resource Centre  Congress Resource Centre
 All Medical Resources  All Medical Resources
 Medical  My Personal Edition



Warning | Privacy

 

 
 Recent news - Bacterial Infections
    Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Strain Linked to High Mortality Rates: Presented at IDSA - (DGDispatch)
    Study Examines Associations Between Antibiotic Use During Pregnancy, Birth Defects - (DGNews)
    Using Linezolid Instead of Vancomycin to Treat Serious Infections Means Fewer Rehospitalisations: Presented at IDSA - (DGDispatch)
    Rifaximin Alleviates Symptoms Due to Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth: Presented at ACG - (DGDispatch)
    TopAbstracts in Bacterial Infections 10/26/2009 - (DGNews)

    News archive

     Recent webcasts/CME - Bacterial Infections
      Drug-Resistant TB
      Peritoneal Tuberculosis: Modern Peril for an Ancient Disease
      Infectious Complications of Biologic Therapies: Preventive and Therapeutic Strategies
      Relative Risks of Serious Bacterial and Opportunistic Infections Among Biologics: Results of Randomized Trials and Observational Studies
      Importance of Assessing Immunocompetence in Biologic Drug Development

      Webcasts/CME archive

       Recent cases - Bacterial Infections
        Renal Amyloidosis in Whipple Disease: A Case Report
        A 72-Year-Old Man with a Rapidly Progressive Sepsis Caused by a Rare But Life-Threatening Infection
        A Rare Case of Cervical Tuberculosis Simulating Carcinoma Cervix: A Case Report
        Primary Tubercular Liver Abscess in an Immunocompetent Adult: A Case Report
        Bordetella Bronchiseptica Pneumonia in a Man with Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome: A Case Report

        Cases archive
          




        my personal edition > bacterial infections > news
        divider

          E-Mail this DGReview to a colleague

        DGReview


        Linezolid Better Tolerated, As Effective As Vancomycin In Treating Resistant Gram-positive Paediatric Infections

        A DGReview of :"Linezolid versus vancomycin for treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections in children"
        Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

        08/27/2003
        By Keely S. Solomon, PhD


        Linezolid treatment for resistant Gram-positive infections in hospitalised children is effective equally to vancomycin with fewer adverse effects, according to a recent report from the Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital, United States.

        A recent increase in resistant paediatric infections has created a concern for treatment options. Linezolid, an oxazolidinone, has been shown to have in vitro bactericidal activity against pneumococci and bacteriostatic activity for staphylococci and enterococci, including methicillin- and vancomycin-resistant strains.

        Investigators, led by Sheldon L. Kaplan, MD, performed a study to assess the clinical efficacy, safety and tolerability of linezolid versus vancomycin for known or suspected antibiotic-resistant Gram-positive infections in hospitalised children under 12 years of age.

        The patients were randomised (2:1) to receive either intravenous linezolid 10 mg/kg every 8 hours (N=215, mean age=2.19 + 3.16 years) or intravenous vancomycin 10 to 15 mg/kg every 6 to 24 hours (N=101, mean age=2.94 + 3.13 years) for at least 3 days. After 3 days, patients older than 91 days receiving linezolid could be switched to oral linezolid suspension (10 mg/kg every 8 hours), and those in the vancomycin group could have treatment changed to an appropriate oral antibiotic agent. Treatment was continued for up to 28 days.

        According to Dr. Kaplan, no significant differences were detected between the rates of clinical cure for the two treatments. In addition, the pathogen eradication rates were high for both treatments, and no significant differences were detected in the microbiologically evaluable population.

        For patients who had received at least one dose of treatment, the cure rates were 79.1% and 74.1% for linezolid and vancomycin, respectively (P=0.36). In patients who received greater than 80% of the prescribed medication, the cure rates rose to 89.3% for linezolid and 84.5% for vancomycin (P=0.31).

        Despite the similar efficacies, several benefits were detected for linezolid treatment compared to vancomycin. The mean duration of treatment was 1 day shorter for the linezolid (11.3 + 5.0 days) than vancomycin (12.2 + 6.4 days). Furthermore, drug-related adverse events were statistically more frequent in the vancomycin group (34.3%) than for linezolid treatment (18.8%; P=0.0026), resulting in a greater rate of study withdrawal (vancomycin, 6.1%; linezolid, 0.9%; P=0.0077).

        "Empiric intravenous and oral linezolid [is] as effective as vancomycin with significantly fewer drug-related adverse events," the researchers conclude, adding that linezolid "may offer advantages as an alternative to vancomycin for infections in children."
        Pediatr Infect Dis J, 2003;22:8:677-85. "Linezolid versus vancomycin for treatment of resistant Gram-positive infections in children"

        E-Mail this DGReview to a colleague   To print, use this version






        All contents Copyright (c) 1995-2009 Doctor's Guide Publishing Limited. All rights reserved.



        The NTK initiative. Physicians helping physicians identify Need-To-Know science
           Feedback
        Please rate this article: Strongly DISAGREE...Strongly AGREE NTK logo
        Question 1 - Physicians need to become aware of this information as soon as possible. Question 2 - This information is likely to have an impact on the way physicians practice medicine.
        1
        2
        3
        4
        5
        6
        7
        Send