Only use tigecycline as last resort

摘要

Tigecycline (Tygacil; Wyeth) should only be used when other antibiotics are unsuitable, according to the latest issue of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency's Drug Safety Update.The antibiotic is licensed for the treatment of complicated skin, soft tissue and intraabdominal infections. However, a recent analysis has shown higher mortality rates inpatients receiving tigecycline than in those receiving comparator drugs (2.3 per cent versus 1.5 per cent).The bulletin advises that patients who develop superinfections, such as nosocomial pneumonia, seem to be at particular risk of a poor outcome.