A study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases examined the association between infectious diseases consultations and death following multidrug-resistant organism infections.
Researchers conducted the study at an academic tertiary referral center, identifying 4,214 patients with multidrug-resistant organism infections in a sterile site or bronchoalveolar lavage/bronchial wash culture. They also examined mortality and readmissions as well as the association of infectious diseases consultations with these outcomes.
The study shows infectious diseases consultations were significantly associated with reductions in 30-day and one-year mortality for resistant S. aureus and Enterobacteriaceae. It was also associated with reductions in 30-day mortality for polymicrobial infections. Infectious diseases consultations were associated with reduced 30-day readmission for resistant Enterobacteriaceae.
However, infectious diseases consultations were not associated with 30-day mortality reductions for Acinetobacter or Pseudomonas.
"Our results suggest that ID consultation may be beneficial for patients with some MDRO infections," study authors concluded.