Effects of empiric antibiotic treatment based on hospital cumulative antibiograms in patients with bacteraemic sepsis: a retrospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effects of empiric antibiotics with different degrees of appropriateness based on hospital cumulative antibiograms in patients with bacteraemic sepsis presenting to the emergency department (ED).

METHODS

This retrospective cohort study included adult patients with sepsis and positive blood culture reports in the ED from February 2016 to December 2018. Based on isolated pathogens and empiric antibiotics which the patients received, these patients were divided into two groups using a cut-off of 70% for overall antimicrobial susceptibility (OAS) on hospital cumulative antibiograms 6 months prior to ED admission. Multivariate regression and sensitivity analyses were performed.

RESULTS

In this study, 1055 patients were included. We used multivariate regression models which were adjusted for age, sex, co-morbidities, site of infection, organ dysfunction, and septic shock. Empiric antibiotics with OAS of ≥70% were associated with reduced in-hospital deaths (adjusted odds ratio, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.28-0.77) and 30-day mortality (adjusted odds ratio, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.33-0.86). They were more likely to result in a shortened length of intensive care unit stay by 1.60 days (95% CI, -3.00 to -0.20).

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment with empiric antibiotics with OAS of ≥70% based on hospital cumulative antibiograms is associated with lower mortality and shorter length of intensive care unit stay in patients with bacteraemic sepsis in the ED.