A comprehensive bundle-style intervention drawing quality care indicators from a systemic literature review proved effective in reducing 14-day and 30-day mortality rates in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia, according to an article published in Clinical Infectious Diseases.
Researchers performed a comprehensive literature review to identify suitable quality indicators on which to construct an intervention. The intervention steps included:
• Follow-up blood cultures
• Early source control
• Echocardiography in patients with a risk of endocarditis
• Early use of intravenous antibiotics for methicillin-susceptible strains
• Adustible vancomycin doses according to plasma trough levels
• Treatment duration commensurate with the complication of infection.
After implementing the intervention in more than 200 patients, researchers determined it was associated with improved adherence for follow-up blood cultures, early source control, early IV antibiotics and appropriate therapy duration. In addition, patients were .47 times less likely to die within 14 days and .56 times less likely to die within 30 days.
The study concluded that focusing interventions on evidence-based quality markers may be useful in improving management of and mortality associated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.
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