[PUBLICATION] Feasibility of early switch to oral antibiotic in brain abscesses and empyema

Feasibility of early switch to oral antibiotic in brain abscesses and empyema: a multicentre retrospective study

Brief report

Management of brain abscess and empyema has dramatically changed since the development of stereotactic and neuronavigation-guided aspiration [1]. Culture of patients’ CNS samples allowed identification of at least one potential pathogen in 68% of cases, and in 23% of cases the culture was polymicrobial [2]. Empirical antibiotherapy is well-established [1, 3]. The British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy recommends initial intravenous (IV) therapy [4]. Depending on clinical response, an appropriate oral regimen may be considered after 1 or 2 weeks of IV antibiotic treatment [4]. Few studies have been published on the feasibility of a switch to oral antibiotics in this pathology [5, 6].

In this study, we aimed to evaluate the outcome after an early switch (within the first 14 days) to oral antibiotic therapy in patients presenting with brain abscess or empyema [Read more].