1505. Shorter-Course Antibiotic Treatment for Pediatric Ventilator-Associated Tracheitis Is Safe and Effective

BACKGROUND: Ventilator-associated tracheitis (VAT) is a common infection in children cared for in pediatric intensive care units (PICU). Short-course antibiotic treatment (5 days) has been shown to be effective. In October 2016, we implemented a PICU VAT guideline for short-course therapy. We assessed the impact of this intervention. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of PICU patients diagnosed with VAT from October 2016 to June 2018. The antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) identified potential patients through daily chart review. Only those patients with a clinician diagnosis and who were receiving antibiotics for VAT, either enterally or parenterally, were included. Frequencies and proportions were calculated. Chi-square or Fisher exact tests were used to compare proportions. RESULTS: ASP identified 251 potential patients, 105 (42%) of whom met inclusion criteria. The median age was 7 years (range: 0–21). Twenty-eight (27%) were tracheostomy dependent. The most commonly prescribed antibiotics were cefepime (43%), ceftriaxone (17%), and vancomycin (14%). Median antibiotic duration was 13 days (range: 1–29); 57 (52%) received > 5 days and 48 (44%) received 5 days. Only 3 (6%) patients who received 5 days of antibiotics required retreatment within 10 days of their initial course vs. 11 (19%) who received > 5 days (P = 0.09). A diagnosis of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) within 10 days of completing VAT treatment was made in 2 (4%) patients who received 5 days vs. 3 (5%) of patients who received > 5 days (P = 1.0). C. difficile infection within 90 days occurred in 2 (4%) patients who received > 5 days vs. 1 (2%) who received 5 days (P = 1.0). CONCLUSION: Short-course antibiotic therapy for VAT was not associated with retreatment for VAT or subsequent diagnosis of VAP. Development of C. difficile was similar between groups. Adherence to the guideline was approximately 50%, perhaps due to physician perception of disease severity. Additional work is needed to refine the diagnosis of VAT and assess the interaction between illness severity and treatment duration. DISCLOSURES: All authors: No reported disclosures.