Cefazolin versus ceftriaxone as definitive treatment for Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia: a retrospective multicentre study in Singapore

Background: Ceftriaxone is the preferred treatment for bacteraemia caused by non-MDR (antibiotic-susceptible) Klebsiella pneumoniae. Excessive and widespread ceftriaxone use creates selection pressure for ESBLs. Cefazolin is an alternative, although there are theoretical concerns that SHV-1 beta-lactamase in K. pneumoniae may inactivate cefazolin in an inoculum-dependent manner. Objectives: In this retrospective study, we investigated the outcomes in K. pneumoniae bacteraemia patients treated with IV cefazolin versus IV ceftriaxone as definitive therapy. Methods: A total of 917 patients infected with K. pneumoniae from 1 January to 31 December 2016 in three public acute care hospitals in Singapore were screened for study eligibility. Consecutive unique episodes of monomicrobial bacteraemia caused by cefazolin- and/or ceftriaxone-susceptible K. pneumoniae were analysed (n=284). Results: There were 143 patients (50.4%) in the cefazolin group and 141 patients (49.6%) in the ceftriaxone group. Demographics, baseline illness severity and risk factors for healthcare-associated bacteraemia were comparable in the two treatment groups. The primary outcome of 28 day all-cause mortality was not significantly different between the cefazolin and ceftriaxone groups (10.5% versus 7.1%, P=0.403). Both in the crude analysis and using a multivariable logistic regression model with inverse probability weighting based on propensity score, cefazolin treatment was not associated with increased risk of 28 day mortality (OR 1.51 with ceftriaxone as the reference group, 95% CI 0.67-3.53; adjusted OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.33-7.40). Conclusions: Cefazolin may be a ceftriaxone-sparing alternative treatment for antibiotic-susceptible K. pneumoniae bacteraemia. This observation may provide sufficient clinical equipoise for a randomized controlled trial.

Automated summary

A retrospective study comparing IV cefazolin and IV ceftriaxone treatment in Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteraemia patients did not show a significant difference in 28-day all-cause mortality rates. This suggests that cefazolin may be a potential alternative treatment to ceftriaxone for antibiotic-susceptible K. pneumoniae bacteraemia.