Study: Two-dose antibiotic may be as effective as IV therapy for serious staph infections 

A study published by JAMA Aug. 13 found that a two-dose antibiotic treatment could be just as effective as traditional long-term IV therapy for treating serious Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream infections. Researchers studied 200 patients with severe staph infections and randomly assigned them to receive either standard IV antibiotics over four to six weeks or two doses of dalbavancin administered one week apart. They found that dalbavancin performed equally well in curing infections and had slightly fewer side effects. The antibiotic reduced the need for home health visits, lab monitoring and risks associated with peripherally inserted central catheter lines.