From the Guidelines
The recommended treatment for Corynebacterium striatum wound infections typically involves vancomycin as first-line therapy, with alternatives including linezolid, daptomycin, or teicoplanin based on susceptibility testing. Treatment usually continues for 7-14 days, depending on infection severity and clinical response. Surgical debridement is often necessary alongside antibiotics to remove infected or necrotic tissue. Local wound care with regular cleaning and appropriate dressings is essential for healing. C. striatum has shown increasing resistance to many antibiotics including penicillins, cephalosporins, and fluoroquinolones, making susceptibility testing crucial for guiding therapy. For severe or complicated infections, consultation with an infectious disease specialist is recommended. Treatment success should be monitored through clinical improvement, including decreased pain, erythema, and drainage, with follow-up cultures in persistent cases to confirm eradication of the organism.
Key Considerations
- The most recent and highest quality study, 1, provides guidance on the management of skin and soft tissue infections, including wound infections.
- The study emphasizes the importance of susceptibility testing in guiding antibiotic therapy, as C. striatum has shown increasing resistance to many antibiotics.
- Surgical debridement and local wound care are essential components of treatment, in addition to antibiotic therapy.
- The choice of antibiotic should be based on the severity of the infection and the likely etiologic agent(s), with vancomycin being a recommended first-line therapy.
Treatment Approach
- Vancomycin is recommended as first-line therapy, with alternatives including linezolid, daptomycin, or teicoplanin based on susceptibility testing.
- Treatment duration is typically 7-14 days, depending on infection severity and clinical response.
- Surgical debridement is often necessary to remove infected or necrotic tissue.
- Local wound care with regular cleaning and appropriate dressings is essential for healing.
Monitoring and Follow-up
- Treatment success should be monitored through clinical improvement, including decreased pain, erythema, and drainage.
- Follow-up cultures should be performed in persistent cases to confirm eradication of the organism.
- Consultation with an infectious disease specialist is recommended for severe or complicated infections.
From the Research
Treatment of Corynebacterium striatum Wound Infections
The recommended treatment for Corynebacterium striatum wound infections is based on several studies that have investigated the effectiveness of various antibiotics against this bacterium.
- Vancomycin is often considered the first-line therapy for C. striatum infections, including wound infections, due to its high susceptibility rates 2, 3, 4, 5.
- Linezolid is also a suitable option, particularly for severe infections or when vancomycin is not tolerated 2, 4.
- Daptomycin may be effective against C. striatum, but its use is cautioned due to the risk of developing high-level resistance 2, 6.
- Other antibiotics, such as teicoplanin, piperacillin-tazobactam, amoxicillin-clavulanate, and cefuroxime, may also be effective against C. striatum, but their use should be guided by susceptibility testing 4.
- It is essential to perform susceptibility testing on C. striatum isolates, as they can exhibit resistance to multiple antibiotics, including fluoroquinolones, β-lactams, aminoglycosides, macrolides, lincosamides, and cotrimoxazole 6, 4, 5.
Key Considerations
- C. striatum is an emerging multidrug-resistant pathogen that can cause various types of infections, including wound infections 6.
- The treatment of C. striatum infections should be guided by the severity of the infection, the susceptibility pattern of the isolate, and the patient's clinical condition 3, 4.
- Combination therapy may be considered for severe infections or when the isolate is resistant to multiple antibiotics 4.