Effectiveness and safety of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam administered in continuous infusion through elastomeric pumps in OPAT regimen: a case series

Purpose: This study aimed to present real-life data on the use, effectiveness, and safety of administering Ceftolozane/Tazobactam (C/T) through elastomeric pumps (EP) in the outpatient setting. Methods: This case series study was conducted from January 2022 to July 2023 in a large University Hospital in Rome, Italy. Patients receiving continuous infusion of C/T via EP were included up to a follow-up period of 90 days after the end of antibiotic therapy. The primary endpoint was the infection’s clinical cure rate. Secondary endpoints were adverse events attributable to continuous home infusion of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam via elastomeric pumps. Results: Seven patients received C/T continuously infused via EP and were included in the final analysis. Three patients suffered from prosthetic joint infection (n = 3/7; 43%), two patients from osteomyelitis (n = 2/7; 29%), one patient from otomastoiditis (n = 1/7; 15%) and one from pneumonia (n = 1/7; 15%). All infection were sustained by P. aeruginosa. Five strains had MDR-type susceptibility profiles (n = 5/7; 71%) and two of these were DTR (n = 2/7; 29%). The infection cure rate reached 86% (n = 6/7). Two patients reported a complication related to the vascular catheter for drug infusion (n = 2/7; 29%). Conclusions: Continuous infusion of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam by elastomeric pumps has been shown to be safe and effective in practice representing a viable option of intravenous treatment in outpatient setting for infection sustained by P. aeruginosa especially for multidrug-resistant strains.