Treatment of a complex orthopaedic infection due to extensively drug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 51 000 healthcare-associated infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa occur annually in the USA, more than 6000 of which (13%) are caused by multidrug resistant (MDR) strains. Ceftolozane/tazobactam (TOL/TAZ) (Zerbaxa) was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in December 2014 for the treatment of complicated intra-abdominal and urinary tract infections. At this time, clinical data on the role of TOL/TAZ treatment outside of FDA-approved indications is limited. Herein, we present a case of extensively drug-resistant (XDR) P. aeruginosa osteomyelitis of the upper extremity, which was successfully treated with TOL/TAZ for 8 weeks with optimal clinical and laboratory responses. Monotherapy with TOL/TAZ appears effective for treatment of complicated bone and joint infections with XDR P. aeruginosa in combination with comprehensive surgical management, particularly when few antibiotic options exist.

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