Dr. Sarah Dräger

FOCUS – Facilitating Optimal Collection and Utilization of blood cultures

Blood cultures (BCs) are a diagnostic tool used to detect bloodstream infections. However, the collection of BCs not according to the guidelines may lead to adverse consequences such as additional testing, longer hospital stay and increased health care costs. The overall aim of the project FOCUS is to provide guidance and reassurance to clinicians when ordering BCs, to reduce the number of non-indicated BCs at the University Hospital Basel (USB).

This study is a single-center study to assess the impact of a diagnostic stewardship program on the number of BCs collected in four wards of the Division of Internal Medicine of the USB. The project includes the implementation of a decision support tool in the clinical BC ordering system, audit and feedback and education. The analyses are performed after/over a 12 months period. The BC rates per 100 patient-days per month and the trend of BC rates per 100 patient-days are compared to the same months of the previous year. Balancing metrics include re-hospitalization rate and mortality rate.

Sarah Dräger, Dr. med. Ärztin, Universitätsspital Basel, Innere Medizin
Project partners: Stefano Bassetti/ Universitätsspital Basel, Alexandra Euler/Universitätsspital Basel, Christof Schneider/Universitätsspital Basel