Impact of a bloodstream infection stewardship program in hospitalized patients

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) in hospitalized patients represent sentinel events requiring timely and responsive antimicrobial prescribing. These infections represent an attractive but seldom-evaluated stewardship opportunity.

Retrospective pre-post study design, with review of patient charts 18 months before and after initiation of a hospital Bloodstream Infection Stewardship Program (BSISP). Pre-intervention, the ward and attending physician were notified of all positive blood cultures. Post-intervention, an infectious disease (ID) pharmacist collaborating with an ID consultant was also notified.

Two hundred twenty-six eligible BSIs were identified pre-intervention and 195 post-intervention. The urinary tract was the most common source of infection; most common bloodstream isolates were Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, beta-hemolytic streptococci, and Klebsiella pneumoniae; 71.7% of infections were community acquired. Empiric therapy was not given in 17.3% of cases and inadequate in 16.4% of patients. Therapy was altered on the basis of Gram stain results ('directed therapy') in 54.6% of episodes and was inadequate in 3.5%. Compared to pre-intervention, the post-intervention cohort received directed therapy on average 4.36 hours earlier (p = 0.003), was more likely to receive appropriate definitive therapy (99.0% post versus 79.1% pre, p <0.001), stepped down to oral therapy earlier (6.0 versus 8.0 days, p = 0.031), and received fewer directed prescriptions (214 per 100 cases post versus 260 per 100 cases pre; p = 0.001), including fewer prescriptions of quinolones and clindamycin.

A BSISP could be an effective strategy for improving antimicrobial prescribing in hospitalized patients with a BSI.