Effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship programmes based on rapid antibiotic susceptibility testing of haematological patients having high-risk factors for bacteraemia-related mortality: a post-hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial

A randomised controlled trial showed that rapid phenotypic antibiotic susceptibility testing (AST) with antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) increases the proportion of haematological patients with bacteraemia receiving optimal targeted therapy within 72 h of blood culture collection. This post-hoc analysis aimed to evaluate the effects of rapid phenotypic AST intervention in haematological patients at high risk of a poor outcome from bacteraemia. Haematological patients with bacteraemia (n = 116) were assigned randomly to a conventional AST group or a rapid AST group. The two outcome measures were the proportion of patients receiving optimal targeted therapy at 72 h post blood culture collection and the time to optimal targeted therapy; subgroup analysis was conducted based on baseline demographics (age, sex) and prognostic (Charlson comorbidity index, haematological treatment intensity, Pitt bacteraemia score, appropriateness of empirical antibiotic therapy and multidrug-resistant organism) indicators. The interaction effect between the intervention and subgroup factors was examined using regression model analysis. Age, sex, Charlson comorbidity index, haematological treatment intensity, Pitt bacteraemia score and appropriateness of empirical antibiotic therapy had no significant interaction effects on the proportion of patients receiving optimal targeted therapy (P = 0.129–0.826). However, infection by a multidrug-resistant organism did have a significant interaction effect (P = 0.042). Regarding time to optimal targeted therapy, there were no significant interaction effects between the intervention and subgroup factors (P = 0.156–0.848). In conclusion, rapid phenotypic AST with ASP intervention may accelerate early optimal targeted antimicrobial treatment of haematological patients, even those in high-risk subgroups with bacteraemia.