Outcome in bacteremia associated with nosocomial pneumonia and the impact of pathogen prediction by tracheal surveillance cultures.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether pathogen prediction in bacteremia associated with nosocomial pneumonia (NP) by tracheal surveillance cultures improves adequacy of early antibiotic therapy and impacts mortality.


METHODS
A retrospective observational study of a prospectively gathered cohort. This cohort included all adult patients admitted to the ICU of a tertiary care hospital from 1992 through 2001 and who developed bacteremia associated with NP.


RESULTS
128 episodes of bacteremia associated with NP were identified. In 110 episodes a tracheal surveillance culture 48-96h prior to bacteremia was available: this culture predicted the pathogen in 67 episodes (61%). Overall rates of appropriate empiric antibiotic therapy within 24 and 48h were 62 and 87%, respectively. Pathogen prediction was associated with a significantly higher rate of appropriate antibiotic therapy within 24h (71 vs 45%; p=0.01), but not within 48h (91 vs 82%; p=0.15). Crude in-hospital mortality was 50%. Pathogen prediction was associated with increased survival in univariate (OR 0.43; CI 0.19-0.93; p=0.04) and multivariate analysis (OR 0.32; CI 0.12-0.82; p=0.02). Multivariate analysis further identified age (OR 1.04; CI 1.01-1.07; p=0.02), increasing APACHEII score (OR 1.08; CI 1.02-1.15; p=0.01), and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (OR 5.90; CI 1.36-25.36; p=0.01) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (OR 3.30; CI 1.04-10.4; p=0.04) as independent risk factors for mortality.


CONCLUSIONS
Pathogen prediction in bacteremia associated with NP by tracheal surveillance cultures is associated with a higher rate of adequate empiric antibiotic therapy within 24[Symbol: see text]h and with increased survival.
Depuydt
Pieter
P
Department of Intensive Care, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, 9000, Ghent, Belgium. pieter.depuydt@ugent.be
Benoit
Dominique
D
Vogelaers
Dirk
D
Claeys
Geert
G
Verschraegen
Gerda
G
Vandewoude
Koenraad
K
Decruyenaere
Johan
J
Blot
Stijn
S
D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018432:Drug Resistance, Multiple; D005260:Female; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents