Dalbavancin Use for the Treatment of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonia

Dalbavancin is a lipoglycopeptide with a long half-life that allows infrequent dosing. It is indicated for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections caused by susceptible organisms, including Staphylococcus aureus and methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). Although this agent has been used off-label clinically, there are minimal data in infections outside the current indications. We report a case of a 28-year-old nonadherent male with HIV presenting with pneumonia due to MRSA that was treated with dalbavancin. The patient was admitted to the hospital with classic pneumonia symptoms, and sputum cultures and bronchoalveolar lavage grew MRSA. Other infections were ruled out. The patient was initially treated with vancomycin, but subtherapeutic concentrations prompted a change to dalbavancin upon discharge. The patient was readmitted 11 days later with the complaints of hemoptysis and shortness of breath, with unchanged imaging. However, no evidence of MRSA was found at this time. Utility of dalbavancin for other disease states has profound implications, particularly in patients with poor medication adherence.