title: Percutaneously drained intra-abdominal infections do not require longer duration of antimicrobial therapy.
abstract: The length of antimicrobial therapy in complicated intra-abdominal infections (CIAIs) is controversial. A recent prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial found that 4 days of antimicrobial therapy after source control of CIAI resulted in similar outcomes when compared with longer duration. We sought to examine whether outcomes remain similar in the subpopulation who received percutaneous drainage for source control of CIAI.
  
  
  
  With the use of the STOP-IT database, patients with a CIAI who received percutaneous drainage were analyzed. Patients were randomized to receive antibiotics until 2 days after the resolution of fever, leukocytosis, and ileus, with a maximum of 10 days of therapy or to receive a fixed course of antibiotics for 4 ± 1 days. Outcomes included incidence of and time to recurrent intra-abdominal infection, Clostridium difficile infection, and extra-abdominal infections as well as hospital days and mortality.
  
  
  
  Of 518 enrolled patients, 129 met inclusion criteria. Baseline characteristics, including demographics, comorbidities, and severity of illness, were similar. When comparing outcomes of the 4-day group (n = 72) with those of the longer group (n = 57), rates of recurrent intra-abdominal infection (9.7% vs. 10.5%, p = 1.00), C. difficile infection (0% vs. 1.8%, p = 0.442), and hospital days (4.0 [2.0-7.5] vs. 4.0 [3.0-8.0], p = 0.91) were similar. Time to recurrent infection was shorter in the 4-day group (12.7 [6.2] days vs. 21.3 [4.2] days, p = 0.015). There was no mortality.
  
  
  
  In this post hoc analysis of a prospective, multicenter, randomized trial, there was no difference in outcome between a shorter and longer duration of antimicrobial therapy in those with percutaneously drained source control of CIAI.
  
  
  
  Therapeutic/care management study, level IV.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Surgery (R.R., C.J.A., N.N.), University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida; Departments of Surgery and Public Health Sciences (R.G.S.), University of Virginia Health Systems, Charlottesville, Virginia; Department of Surgery (R.A.), Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Surgery (K.L.B.), University of Minnesota Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Department of Surgery (R.C.), University of California San Diego, San Diego, California; Department of Surgery (C.H.C.), Beth Israel Deaconnness Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; Department of Surgery (T.M.D.), Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia; Department of Surgery (P.J.O.), Maricopa Integrated Health System, Phoenix, Arizona; Department of Surgery (O.D.R.), University of Toronto St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: Rishi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rattan
authors.forename: Casey J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.forename: Robert G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Sawyer
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Askari
authors.forename: Kaysie L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Banton
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Coimbra
authors.forename: Charles H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Cook
authors.forename: Therese M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Duane
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: OʼNeill
authors.forename: Ori D
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Rotstein
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Namias
mesh_terms: D018806:APACHE; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D015897:Comorbidity; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D059413:Intraabdominal Infections / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents