A Healthcare Improvement Intervention Combining Nucleic Acid Microarray Testing With Direct Physician Response for Management of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

Background: Nucleic acid microarray (NAM) testing for detection of Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) and S. aureus resistance gene determinants can reduce time to targeted antibiotic administration. Evidence-based management of SAB includes bedside infectious diseases (ID) consultation. As a healthcare improvement initiative at our institution, with the goal of improving management and outcomes for subjects with SAB, we implemented NAM with a process for responding to positive NAM results by directly triggered, mandatory ID consultation.

Methods: Preintervention, SAB was identified by traditional culture and results passively directed to antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) pharmacists. Postintervention, SAB in adult inpatients was identified by Verigene Gram-Positive Blood Culture test, results paged directly to ID fellow physicians, and consultation initiated immediately. In the new process, ASP assisted with management after the initial consultation. A single-center, retrospective, pre-/postintervention analysis was performed.

Results: One hundred six preintervention and 120 postintervention subjects were assessed. Time to ID consultation after notification of a positive blood culture decreased 26.0 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 45.1 to 7.1 hours, P < .001) postintervention compared with preintervention. Time to initiation of targeted antibiotic decreased by a mean of 21.2 hours (95% CI, 31.4 to 11.0 hours, P < .001) and time to targeted antibiotics for methicillin-sensitive S. aureus decreased by a mean of 40.7 hours (95% CI, 58.0 to 23.5 hours, P < .001). The intervention was associated with lower in-hospital (13.2% to 5.8%, P = .047) and 30-day (17.9% to 8.3%, P = .025) mortality.

Conclusions: Compared with an ASP-directed response to traditionally detected SAB, an efficient physician response to NAM was associated with improved care and outcomes for SAB.