Pathogen-Negative Sepsis-An Opportunity for Antimicrobial Stewardship

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Sepsis is a frequent indication for empiric antibiotic use in hospitalized patients.
• Antimicrobial stewardship programs aim to optimize antibiotic use and combat resistance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the duration of empiric antibiotic treatment in patients with pathogen-negative sepsis.
• To identify potential targets for antimicrobial stewardship interventions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 1047 hospitalized patients.
• Focus on patients with pathogen-negative sepsis.
• Analysis of empiric antibiotic treatment duration.

Main Results:

• The median duration of empiric antibiotics was 6 days (interquartile range: 4-9 days).
• This duration was observed in 1047 survivors diagnosed with pathogen-negative sepsis.

Conclusions:

• Patients with pathogen-negative sepsis are treated with empiric antibiotics for a median of 6 days.
• This patient group represents a significant opportunity for antimicrobial stewardship programs to refine treatment guidelines and reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure.