Evaluation of Daptomycin for the Emergency Department Treatment of Complicated Skin and Skin Structure Infections

Specific Aim 1: Compare the efficacy of daptomycin to the efficacy of vancomycin for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infection in the ED. Patients eligible for the RDTC Cellulitis Treatment Protocol will be screened for inclusion in the study. After informed consent, patients will be randomized to receive either daptomycin or vancomycin (1:1 ratio). A case report form (CRF) detailing medical history, clinical characteristics, and treatments will be completed. The patients will be evaluated for meeting RDTC discharge criteria. The following time points will be collected: 1. actual time patient meets discharge criteria based on the RDTC cellulitis protocol; 2. time of disposition defined as the time treating physician writes discharge orders; and, 3. time the patient actually leaves the emergency department. Subsequently, the patient will be followed up by telephone to ascertain whether a change in antibiotic therapy or a return ED visit for complicated skin and skin structure infection occurred within 30 days of the initial RDTC enrollment Specific Aim 2: Compare the change in area and erythema of the cellulitic lesion between patients treated with daptomycin and patients treated with vancomycin. Patients enrolled in the study will have serial digital photographs of their primary lesion taken. The images will be processed blinded to clinical data and asynchronous to the ED stay. The change in lesion area and erythema will be calculated.