Many patients with diabetic foot infections receive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus antibiotics unnecessarily, according to Kelly Reveles, PharmD, and her associates.
Among the 318 patients with diabetic foot infections (DFIs) in the study, S. aureus was the most common pathogen, accounting for 146 cases. MRSA accounted for 47 of S. aureus cases, and 15% of overall cases. Although MRSA accounted for a relatively small number of cases, MRSA antibiotics were administered to 86% of all patients, resulting in 71% of all patients receiving the treatment unnecessarily.
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Independent risk factors for MRSA DFI were male sex and bone involvement. Other risk factors included previous MRSA infection, more severe infection, and a higher white cell count. The most common comorbidities of DFI were hypertension, dyslipidemia, and obesity.
“The improper use of antibiotics unnecessarily exposes the patient to potential complications of the therapy. Furthermore, the overuse of antibiotics drives antimicrobial resistance and is likely to increase the health care burden,” the investigators wrote.
Find the full study in PLoS One (doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0161658).