Impact of phenotypic rapid diagnostic assay on duration of empiric antibiotics for gram-negative bacteremia

OBJECTIVE: Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are increasingly being implemented as antimicrobial stewardship tools to facilitate antibiotic modification and reduce complications related to their overutilization. We measured the clinical impact of a phenotypic RDT with antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in the setting of gram-negative bacteremia. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: In this single-center retrospective cohort study, we evaluated adult patients with gram-negative bacteremia who received at least 72 hours of an antibiotic. METHODS: The primary outcome was the duration of empiric antibiotic therapy for gram-negative bacteremia. Secondary outcomes included time-to-directed therapy, proportion of modifications, hospital length of stay (LOS), and subsequent infection with a multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) or C. difficile infection (CDI). RESULTS: The duration of empiric antibiotics decreased in the RDT+AMS group (4 days vs 2 days; P < .01). Time to directed therapy decreased from 75.0 to 27.9 hours (P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical outcomes of LOS, MDRO, and CDI were reduced. The phenotypic RDT demonstrated an improvement in stewardship measures and clinical outcomes.