Clinical experience with tigecycline as treatment for serious infections in elderly and critically ill patients.

BACKGROUND Tigecycline was approved for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and complicated skin/skin structure infections. Because of its in vitro effectiveness for multidrug-resistant (MDR) isolates, tigecycline has been prescribed more broadly. This study evaluated tigecycline use after its first introduction in Taiwan and experience with tigecycline for the treatment of MDR Acinetobacter baumannii (MDRAB) infection, especially for ventilator-associated pneumonia. METHODS Patients treated with tigecycline were collected retrospectively from February 2008 to July 2008 in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, a 2,900-bed tertiary care medical center in Taiwan. Patients were divided into three groups according to the indications: Group 1, Food and Drug Administration-approved indications; Group 2, health care-associated pneumonia (HAP); and Group 3, urinary tract infection, osteomyelitis, bacteremia, etc. Cases of MDRAB were also identified. RESULTS Among 66 cases, indications for the administration of tigecycline included Food and Drug Administration-approved indications (12, 18.2%), HAP (38, 57.6%), bacteremia (3, 4.5%), catheter-related infections (3, 4.5%), urinary tract infection (4, 6.1%), osteomyelitis (4, 6.1%), and others (2, 3%). Clinical outcome was positive in 20 cases, with higher clinical success rate for Group 1 than Group 2, which may correlate with higher Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score, older age, and more frequent intensive care admission in Group 2. Of the microbiologically evaluable cases, MDRAB predominated (33/51, 64.7%). Among infections with MDRAB (excluding pneumonia without ventilator), the clinical success rate was 12% (3/25). CONCLUSIONS The most common indication for the prescription of tigecycline was HAP. Success rate for MDRAB infection was lower than that previously reported, possibly because of serious underlying conditions and comorbidities in our patients. Because of limited choices, physicians should weigh the risk and benefit for prescribing tigecycline.