EFFICACY OF TIGECYCLINE TREATMENT IN SEVERE AND COMPLICATED CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE INFECTION

The aim of this study was to analyse the efficacy of tigecycline compared with the standard therapy (vancomycin plus metronidazole) in adults treated for severe Clostridium difficile infection (sCDI). A retrospective cohort study of septic patients, with at least one organ dysfunction and sCDI, hospitalized at Intensive Care Unit of the Clinical Emergency Hospital of Bucharest, Romania, from January to December 2016, was performed. Patients receiving tigecycline plus standard therapy, early or later in the course of the infection, were compared with the standard therapy alone. Outcomes were the clinical recovery, 30-day mortality and complications rate. There were no statistical differences between the groups regarding demographic data, severity score and comorbidity index. The introduction of tigecycline as tardive treatment does not show any major improvement, but survival rate increased from 12.1% with standard therapy to 80% with early administration of tigecycline, without any adverse reactions attributable to tigecycline. Favourable outcomes suggest that tigecycline could be an additional option for treatment of sCDI, but it requires further larger trial studies for support.