1 The comparative efficacy and safety of vancomycin vs. teicoplanin: Systematic review and meta-analysis

2 Background: Vancomycin and teicoplanin are the glycopeptides currently in use for invasive beta-lactam-resistant Gram-positive infections. Methods: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials comparing vancomycin vs. teicoplanin administered systemically for suspected or proven infections. A comprehensive search without year, language or publication-status restrictions was performed. The primary outcome was all-cause mortality. Two reviewers independently extracted the data. Risk ratios with 95 % confidence intervals were pooled using the fixed effect model (RR>1 favor vancomycin). Results: Twenty-four trials were included. All-cause mortality was similar overall (RR 0.95, 95%CI 0.74-1.21), without significant heterogeneity. In trials using adequate allocation concealment results favored teicoplanin (RR 0.82, 95%CI 0.63-1.06), while in trials with unknown methods or inadequate concealment, results favored vancomycin (RR 3.61, 95%CI 1.27-10.30). The latter trials might have recruited more severely-ill patients. No other variabl