This study suggests that empirical anti-MRSA therapy was not associated with reduced mortality for any group of patients hospitalized for pneumonia. These results contribute to a growing body of evidence that questions the value of empirical use of anti-MRSA therapy using existing risk approaches.

Among 88,605 hospitalized patients, empirical anti-MRSA therapy was administered to 33,632 (38%); 8,929 patients (10%) died within 30 days.

Compared with standard therapy alone, in weighted propensity score analysis, empirical anti-MRSA therapy plus standard therapy was significantly associated with an increased adjusted risk of death, kidney injury, and secondary C difficile infections, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp infections, and secondary gram-negative rod infections.

Retrospective multicenter cohort study was conducted of all hospitalizations in which patients received either anti-MRSA or standard therapy for community-onset pneumonia in the Veterans Health Administration health care system from January 1, 2008, to December 31, 2013.

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