Pharmacist-driven Implementation of Fast Identification and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing Improves Outcomes for Patients with Gram-negative Bacteremia and Candidemia

Bloodstream infections (BSI) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, especially when caused by gram-negative or fungal pathogens. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of fast ID/AST with the Accelerate Pheno ™ system (AXDX) from May 2018 to December 2018 on antibiotic therapy and patient outcomes.

In this analysis of patients with gram-negative bacteremia or candidemia, fast ID/AST implementation was associated with decreased hospital LOS, decreased use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, shortened time to targeted therapy, and an improved utilization of antibiotics within the first 96 hours of therapy.