The findings were presented at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control Epidemiology’s annual conference in Philadelphia June 12-14. The hospital’s process involved conducting blood culture tests to identify which bacteria were infecting patients and passing that information on to a nurse and pharmacist, who used an algorithm to communicate treatment recommendations to a physician.
Researchers reviewed data on the intervention for Jan. 1, 2017, to Aug. 31, 2018, paying special attention to the 4-month periods before and after the process’s implementation. Ninety-nine patients were included in the data prior to and 103 patients after the intervention.
They found the hospital saved $322,508 over four months based on an average decreased length of stay of 1.45 days per patient. Patients were also on antibiotics for fewer days and started antibiotic de-escalation more rapidly.
The findings suggest one way hospitals might reduce broad-spectrum antibiotic use, which can contribute to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance.
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