Bundled Interventions Did Not Improve Outcomes for Patients with S. aureus Bacteremia

Applying five quality-of-care indicators for managing S. aureus bacteremia increased adherence to practice standards but did not reduce risk for relapse or mortality.

Despite appropriate antimicrobial therapy, mortality associated with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) may be as high as 40%, varying substantially across hospitals. Nonetheless, clinicians' adherence to core quality-of-care indicators is thought to improve outcomes.

Investigators evaluated 90-day relapse and mortality among patients with SAB before (n=170) and after (n=103) implementation of a care bundle at six community hospitals in Spain. The bundle included:

Blood cultures before and 48–72 hours after initiation of therapy
Source control (e.g., catheter removal, abscess drainage)
Sufficiently targeted therapy
Echocardiography in patients with complicated SAB
Adequate duration of therapy (10–14 days for uncomplicated SAB; 28 days for com…

Reviewing Author

George Sakoulas, MD

Disclosures

Consultant/Advisory BoardParatek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.; AbbVie; Shionogi

Speaker’s BureauAllergan/AbbVie; Paratek Pharmaceuticals; Nestle Corp.

RoyaltiesUpToDate

Editorial BoardsAntimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy; Open Forum Infectious Diseases