The role of centre and country factors on process and outcome indicators in critically ill patients with hospital-acquired bloodstream infections

Abstract

Bacteraemia; Bloodstream infections; Hospital

Bacterièmia; Infeccions del torrent sanguini; Hospital

Bacteremia; Infecciones del torrente sanguíneo; Hospital

Purpose The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the associations between centre/country-based factors and two important process and outcome indicators in patients with hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HABSI). Methods We used data on HABSI from the prospective EUROBACT-2 study to evaluate the associations between centre/country factors on a process or an outcome indicator: adequacy of antimicrobial therapy within the first 24 h or 28-day mortality, respectively. Mixed logistical models with clustering by centre identified factors associated with both indicators. Results Two thousand two hundred nine patients from two hundred one intensive care units (ICUs) were included in forty-seven countries. Overall, 51% (n = 1128) of patients received an adequate antimicrobial therapy and the 28-day mortality was 38% (n = 839). The availability of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) for aminoglycosides everyday [odds ratio (OR) 1.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03–2.14] or within a few hours (OR 1.79, 95% CI 1.34–2.38), surveillance cultures for multidrug-resistant organism carriage performed weekly (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.09–1.93), and increasing Human Development Index (HDI) values were associated with adequate antimicrobial therapy. The presence of intermediate care beds (OR 0.63, 95% CI 0.47–0.84), TDM for aminoglycoside available everyday (OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.44–1.00) or within a few hours (OR 0.51, 95% CI 0.37–0.70), 24/7 consultation of clinical pharmacists (OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.47–0.95), percentage of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) between 10% and 25% in the ICU (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.00–2.80), and decreasing HDI values were associated with 28-day mortality. Conclusion Centre/country factors should be targeted for future interventions to improve management strategies and outcome of HABSI in ICU patients.

Open access funding provided by University of Geneva. Research grants were obtained from the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM), the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) study Group for Infections in Critically Ill Patients (ESGCIP), the Norva Dahlia foundation and the Redcliffe Hospital Private Practice Trust Fund.