Healthcare resource utilization and readmission outcomes in patients treated with ceftolozane/tazobactam: real-world insights from the multinational SPECTRA study
Open Access
- 30 April 2026
- journal article
- Published by Oxford University Press (OUP) in JAC-Antimicrobial Resistance
- Vol. 8 (3) , dlag110
Abstract
Background: Antimicrobial resistance poses a significant threat to global health, with Gram-negative pathogens contributing to morbidity, mortality and healthcare costs. While ceftolozane/tazobactam provides an effective treatment option against these pathogens, real-world data on healthcare resource use associated with ceftolozane/tazobactam, especially outside the USA, remain limited. Materials and methods: This retrospective, multinational observational study includes 617 adult inpatients from Australia, Austria, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain and the UK who received ≥48 hours of ceftolozane/tazobactam. The outcomes included 30-day all-cause and infection-related readmission rates, hospital length of stay and post-ceftolozane/tazobactam length of stay. Subgroup analyses were conducted by rank of ceftolozane/tazobactam initiation, ICU admission and cystic fibrosis status. Results: The overall 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 10.2%. The infection-related readmission rate was 4.9%. The median hospital length of stay was 42 days (IQR 22–71), and median post-ceftolozane/tazobactam length of stay was 6 days (IQR 1–25). Among ICU patients (n = 298), the 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 3.4% and median length of stay was 59 days. In cystic fibrosis patients (n = 64), the 30-day all-cause readmission rate was 10.9% and the median length of stay was 31.5 days (IQR 16–48.5). Conclusions: This is the largest multinational, real-world dataset on healthcare resource use associated with ceftolozane/tazobactam outside the USA. These descriptive findings show differences in readmission rates and length of stay across rank-of-initiation groups; however, no causal relationships can be inferred from these data. The results are hypothesis-generating for future adjusted and economic analyses. Further research is warranted for economic evaluations and to optimize the timing of ceftolozane/tazobactam initiation.Keywords
Funding Information
- Merck Sharp and Dohme United Kingdom
- Merck
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- Time-to-antibiotics and clinical outcomes in patients with sepsis and septic shock: a prospective nationwide multicenter cohort studyCritical Care, 2022
- Patient discharge from intensive care: an updated scoping review to identify tools and practices to inform high-quality careCritical Care, 2021
- Delay of appropriate antibiotic treatment is associated with high mortality in patients with community-onset sepsis in a Swedish settingEuropean Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases, 2019
- Impact of Delayed Appropriate Antibiotic Therapy on Patient Outcomes by Antibiotic Resistance Status From Serious Gram-negative Bacterial InfectionsThe American Journal of the Medical Sciences, 2019
- Ceftolozane-Tazobactam for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infections: A Multicenter StudyOpen Forum Infectious Diseases, 2018
- Characteristics, Outcomes, and Cost Patterns of High-Cost Patients in the Intensive Care UnitCritical Care Research and Practice, 2018
- ICU Admission, Discharge, and Triage Guidelines: A Framework to Enhance Clinical Operations, Development of Institutional Policies, and Further ResearchCritical Care Medicine, 2016
- World Medical Association Declaration of HelsinkiJAMA, 2013
- Understanding the Costs of Care for Cystic Fibrosis: An Analysis by Age and Health StateValue in Health, 2013
- Guidelines for good pharmacoepidemiology practices (GPP)Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety, 2005