PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - R J Cunney
AU  - E B McNamara
AU  - N Alansari
AU  - B Loo
AU  - E G Smyth
TI  - The impact of blood culture reporting and clinical liaison on the empiric treatment of bacteraemia.
AID  - 10.1136/jcp.50.12.1010
DP  - 1997 Dec 01
TA  - Journal of Clinical Pathology
PG  - 1010--1012
VI  - 50
IP  - 12
4099  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/50/12/1010.short
4100  - http://jcp.bmj.com/content/50/12/1010.full
SO  - J Clin Pathol1997 Dec 01; 50
AB  - AIMS: To assess the impact of blood culture results and early clinical liaison on the treatment of patients with bacteraemia. METHODS: 123 patients with significant positive blood cultures were followed over a nine month period in a 620 bed teaching hospital. The impact of early blood culture reporting and clinical liaison on the cost and appropriateness of treatment was assessed. RESULTS: Empiric treatment was started before the Gram stain result in 107 (87%) patients. Treatment was altered on the basis of the Gram stain result in 39 (36%) of these patients, and on culture and sensitivity results in 53 (50%). The spectrum of antibiotic treatment was narrowed in 58 (54%) of these; 20 (19%) on Gram stain result alone. This resulted in a 42% reduction in daily antibiotic costs in patients who had received empiric treatment. Empiric treatment did not follow the hospital antibiotic policy in 49 (46%) of the patients treated. In patients where empiric treatment was not in accordance with hospital policy, 21 (44%) had an isolate resistant to the empiric treatment used; while in patients who received agents in accordance with hospital policy only one (1.7%) had a resistant isolate (p < 0.05). Patients who died (11 (9%)) were less likely to have received empiric treatment in accordance with the antibiotic policy, although this did not reach statistical significance (p = 0.1). CONCLUSION: Early reporting of Gram stain results from blood cultures, combined with early clinical liaison, results in more rational and cost effective treatment.