How Generalizable Are Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i> Bacteremia? A Description of the Mortality Gap Between RCTs and Observational Studies
Anthony D. Bai, Carson K. L. Lo, Adam S. Komorowski, Mallika Suresh, Kevin Guo, Akhil Garg, Pranav Tandon, Julien Senécal, Olivier Del Corpo, Isabella Stefanova, Clare Fogarty, Guillaume Butler‐Laporte, Emily G. McDonald, Matthew P. Cheng, Andrew M. Morris, Mark Loeb, Todd C. Lee
Abstract
In Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, mortality rates in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) are consistently lower than observational studies. Stringent eligibility criteria and omission of early deaths in RCTs contribute to this mortality gap. Clinicians should acknowledge the possibility of a lower treatment effect when applying RCT results to bedside care.
Topics & Concepts
Observational studyMedicineRandomized controlled trialBacteremiaStaphylococcus aureusIntensive care medicineMethicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureusMEDLINEInternal medicineAntibioticsMicrobiologyBacteriaPolitical scienceBiologyLawGeneticsAntimicrobial Resistance in StaphylococcusBacterial Identification and Susceptibility TestingClostridium difficile and Clostridium perfringens research