Validation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship-Driven Verigene Blood-Culture Gram-Negative Treatment Algorithm to Improve Appropriateness of Antibiotics

Kimberly C Claeys; K E Schlaffer; E L Heil; S Leekha; J K Johnson

doi:10.1093/ofid/ofy233

Validation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship-Driven Verigene Blood-Culture Gram-Negative Treatment Algorithm to Improve Appropriateness of Antibiotics

Open Forum Infect Dis. 2018 Sep 15;5(10):ofy233. doi: 10.1093/ofid/ofy233. eCollection 2018 Oct.

Authors

Kimberly C Claeys¹, K E Schlaffer², E L Heil¹, S Leekha³, J K Johnson⁴

Affiliations

¹ University of Maryland School of Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Science, Baltimore.
² University of Maryland Medical System, Department of Medicine, Baltimore.
³ University of Maryland School of Medicine, Departments of Epidemiology and Public Health, Baltimore.
⁴ University of Maryland School of Medicine, Department of Pathology, Baltimore.

Abstract

Rapid diagnostic testing (RDT) allows for early adjustment of antibiotic therapy. This study examined the potential impact of a stewardship-driven antibiotic treatment algorithm, incorporating RDT into the management of Gram-negative bacteremia. The proposed algorithm would have resulted in 88.4% of cases receiving appropriate antibiotic therapy versus 78.1% by standard of care (P = .014).

Keywords: diagnostic stewardship; multiplex PCR; rapid diagnostic.