Use of Ceftaroline in Hospitalized Patients With Community Acquired Pneumonia

Community-acquired bacterial pneumonia, which is often called CAP, is a bacterial infection in the lungs and is treated with antibiotics. Sometimes people need to be in the hospital to be treated for CAP. Usually, hospitalized persons with CAP are given two antibiotics together. These antibiotics usually include a cephalosporin and a macrolide. The most commonly used cephalosporin at Albany Medical Center Hospital is ceftriaxone. The most commonly used macrolides at Albany Medical Center Hospital are azithromycin and doxycycline. This research is being done to find out how well a new cephalosporin antibiotic, called ceftaroline, works in combination with a macrolide for the treatment of CAP. Ceftaroline is similar to ceftriaxone. Ceftaroline was recently approved by the FDA to treat pneumonia in hospitalized patients based on two research studies. In one study, ceftaroline was better than ceftriaxone. In the second study, ceftaroline was just as good as ceftriaxone. Ceftaroline was very well tolerated in both clinical studies and it was found to be as safe as ceftriaxone.