Abstract:
INTRODUCTION: Tigecycline, the first of a new class of antibiotics, the glycylcyclines, was licensed in South Africa for the parenteral treatment of adult patients with complicated intraabdominal
infections (cIAIs) and complicated skin and softtissue infections (cSSTIs).
METHODS: A multidisciplinary meeting representative of the
Association of Surgeons of South Africa, the Critical Care
Society of Southern Africa, the Federation of Infectious
Diseases Societies of Southern Africa, the South African
Thoracic Society and the Trauma Society of South Africa was
held to draw up a national guideline for the appropriate use
of tigecycline. Background information reviewed included
randomised controlled trials, other relevant publications and
local antibiotic susceptibility patterns. The initial document
was drafted at the meeting. Subsequent drafts were circulated
to members of the working group for modification.
OUTPUT: The guideline addresses several important aspects
of the new agent, summarising key clinical data and
highlighting important considerations with the use of the
drug. The recommendations in this guideline are based on
currently available scientific evidence together with the
consensus opinion of the authors.
CONCLUSION: This statement was written out of concern
regarding the widespread misuse of antibiotics. Its primary
intention is to facilitate heterogeneous use of antibiotics as
a component of antibiotic stewardship and to highlight the
appropriate use of tigecycline in particular.
