How Generalizable Are Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia? A Description of the Mortality Gap Between RCTs and Observational Studies.
Anthony D BaiCarson K L LoAdam S KomorowskiMallika SureshKevin GuoAkhil GargPranav TandonJulien SenecalOlivier Del CorpoIsabella StefanovaClare FogartyGuillaume Butler-LaporteEmily G McDonaldMatthew P ChengAndrew M MorrisMark LoebTodd C LeePublished in: Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (2022)
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.