Outpatient oritavancin reduces hospitalization in acute uncomplicated cellulitis

Outpatient oritavancin therapy for patients with acute uncomplicated cellulitis results in a decrease in 30-day hospital readmissions or admissions when compared with inpatient standard of care (SoC), a recent study has shown.

“Shifting inpatient antibiotic treatment to outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy may minimize treatment for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, including cellulitis,” the researchers said.

A retrospective, observational cohort study was conducted at a 941-bed community teaching hospital to compare 30-day hospital readmission or admission due to cellulitis and economic outcomes of inpatient SoC management of acute uncomplicated cellulitis to outpatient oritavancin therapy.

Patients aged at least 18 years and treated for acute uncomplicated cellulitis from February 2015 to December 2018 were eligible for inclusion. The research team gathered data using hospital and billing department records. They then assigned patients to either inpatient SoC or outpatient oritavancin cohorts for comparison.

In total, 1,549 patients met the eligibility criteria: 1,348 in the inpatient SoC cohort and 201 in the outpatient oritavancin cohort. Their average length of stay in the hospital was 3.6 days.

Thirty-day hospital readmission or admission due to cellulitis, the primary outcome, occurred in one out of 201 patients in the outpatient oritavancin group and in 49 out of 1,348 in the inpatient SoC group (0.5 percent vs 3.6 percent; p=0.02).

In addition, the outpatient oritavancin group had improved difference between costs and reimbursement (p<0.001).

“Beneficial economic outcomes for the outpatient oritavancin cohort were observed,” the researchers said, noting that further studies are warranted to confirm these findings.