DICON and IPHE Physician, Dr. Jessie Seidelman, and team compared the number of blood-culture events before and after the introduction of a blood-culture algorithm and provider feedback. Secondary objectives were the comparison of blood-culture positivity and negative safety signals before and after the intervention.
The blood-culture event rate decreased from 100 to 55 blood-culture events per 1,000 patient days in the general surgery and trauma ICU (72% reduction; incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.32-0.46; P < .01) and from 102 to 77 blood-culture events per 1,000 patient days in the cardiothoracic surgery ICU (55% reduction; IRR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39-0.52; P < .01). The team did not observe any differences in average monthly antibiotic days of therapy, mortality, or readmissions between the pre- and postintervention periods.
A blood-culture algorithm with data feedback was implemented in 2 surgical ICUs, and the team observed significant decreases in the rates of blood-culture events without an increase in negative safety signals, including ICU length of stay, mortality, antibiotic use, or readmissions.
Read the full article in Infection control & Hospital Epidemiology.