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A Robust Pneumonia Model in Immunocompetent Rodents to Evaluate Antibacterial Efficacy against S. pneumoniae, H. influenzae, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa or A. baumannii
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Optimizing empiric therapy for Gram-negative bloodstream infections in children

Y Chao1, C Reuter2, L K Kociolek2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.

The Journal of Hospital Infection
|September 28, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Optimizing antibiotic therapy for Gram-negative bacilli bloodstream infections in children is crucial. Electronic health records can help create customized antibiograms to improve treatment and reduce errors.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Pediatric Pharmacology
  • Health Informatics

Background:

  • Antimicrobial stewardship presents challenges in pediatric bloodstream infections (BSIs) caused by Gram-negative bacilli (GNB).
  • Effective empiric antibiotic therapy is critical for managing GNB BSIs in children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the utility of electronic health record (EHR) data for optimizing empiric antibiotic therapy in pediatric GNB BSIs.
  • To develop customized antibiograms for categorical GNB infections.
  • To identify strategies for minimizing organism-drug mismatch and reducing time to effective therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective cohort study design.
  • Analysis of data elements within the electronic health record.
  • Construction of customized antibiograms for GNB infections.

Main Results:

  • Identified opportunities to optimize empiric antibiotic selection for GNB BSIs in children.
  • Demonstrated the potential of EHR data for creating tailored antibiograms.
  • Highlighted strategies to reduce organism-drug mismatch and expedite effective treatment.

Conclusions:

  • Customized antibiograms derived from EHR data can enhance antimicrobial stewardship for pediatric GNB BSIs.
  • Implementation of EHR-based strategies at key prescribing decision points can improve therapy.
  • Findings suggest practical approaches to minimize treatment delays and optimize antibiotic use.

Keywords:
AntibioticBloodstream infectionGram-negativePaediatrics

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