Clinician response time for positive blood culture results in a pediatric ICU

Introduction: Positive blood cultures guide clinicians to prescribe specific therapy based on in vitro susceptibility. Delays in appropriate antibiotic therapy increase morbidity associated with positive blood culture.

Hypothesis: Time from clinician notification of positive blood culture to administration of targeted antimicrobial therapy should follow Surviving Sepsis guidelines.

Methods: Study setting was a 44 bed pediatric ICU. Data were extracted from the pharmacy database and the medical records of pediatric ICU patients with positive blood culture. Source, time blood culture was obtained, time of clinician notification of positive result, and administration time of first dose of new antimicrobial was captured.

Results: 174 positive blood cultures from 111 PICU patients were examined. Antimicrobials were changed after the positive culture in 51 (49%) patients. The new antibiotic was administered in an average of 6 h 35 min from clinician notification.

Conclusions: We demonstrated a delay from clinician notification of positive culture to new antibiotic administration.