Daptomycin for the treatment of Staphylococcus aureus infections complicated by septic pulmonary emboli.

The management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia is limited by high rates of methicillin resistance and the paucity of antibiotic agents with proven efficacy in complicated infectious syndromes, such as endocarditis. Vancomycin is the mainstay of therapy; however, salvage therapy is frequently required due to persistence of infection or drug toxicity. Daptomycin is FDA-approved for S. aureus bacteremia and right-sided endocarditis, but controversy exists regarding the role of this agent in the setting of septic pulmonary emboli. Sequestration by pulmonary surfactant renders daptomycin ineffective in bronchoalveolar pneumonia; however, the impact of this drug property on efficacy in hematogenous pulmonary infections is unclear. Herein we review the available evidence in order to inform the rationale use of daptomycin in S. aureus infections complicated by septic pulmonary emboli.