Ceftaroline Fosamil as an Alternative for a Severe Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infection: A Case Report

Bacteremia secondary to methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a dreaded medical condition that is not only associated with a significant medical cost but also carries high morbidity and mortality. The poor clinical outcomes seen in MRSA patients and the nephrotoxic effects of high-doses of vancomycin are challenging its current status as the first-line treatment for MRSA. Fortunately, vancomycin-intermediate-staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and vancomycin-resistant-staphylococcus aureus (VRSA) are not common in the United States. However, MRSA still presents different treatment challenges. Elevated vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) commonly result in decreased efficacy and an increased probability of treatment failure, prompting the use of alternative agents. Although daptomycin is an alternative, adverse effects (i.e., elevations in serum creatine phosphokinase (CPK), drug-induced myopathy, peripheral neuropathy, and eosinophilic pneumonia) may limit its use in some patients. In the search for a suitable replacement for vancomycin, great promise has been shown by anti-MRSA cephalosporins. We present a case of MRSA bacteremia and endocarditis requiring a different approach to treatment as compared to traditional treatment with vancomycin alone. This case report describes the successful treatment of MRSA bacteremia with ceftaroline fosamil in a patient who responded poorly to conventional therapy, specifically vancomycin, due to an elevated MIC (2 µg/mL).