599 - Dalbavancin Utilization in Rural Healthcare Setting: A Single Center Three Years’ Experience

Background: Dalbavancin is a second generation lipoglycopeptide, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). The weekly dosing of Dalbavancin has encouraged its off-label use to treat other severe infections, especially in patients deemed to be poor candidates for intravenous antimicrobial therapy through a long-term intravenous catheter.

Methods: Single center retrospective chart review of 33 patients who were planned to receive Dalbavancin between March 2015 and March 2019 at a rural medical center in New Hampshire.

We reviewed demographics, indications, microbiological, intravenous drug use status and compliance data.

Results: Dalbavancin therapy was planned for 25/33 patients (75.75%) specifically due to safety concerns around use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) in Persons Who Inject Drugs (PWID). All 25 patients (75.75%) were actively injecting at the time of the infection with 16/33 patients (48.48%) receiving or newly enrolled in medication assisted treatment. The planned duration of therapy was not completed in 15/33 patients (45.45%) and all were PWID. 11/33 patients (33.3%) were lost to follow up.  Additionally, 6 patients experienced insurance coverage issues or difficulty having peripheral access placed. The average driving distance between home and infusion suite was 47 miles. 

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (19/33) and Methicillin Susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (8/33) were the most commonly treated organisms and the average pathogen-directed therapy duration prior to starting Dalbavancin was 15 days.

Conclusion: Despite recent data suggesting that Dalbavancin therapy for PWID has good compliance rates in urban settings, our experience suggests that the same principle might not be true in rural settings as the non-compliance and loss to follow up rates were very high.