Table 2.

Quality of care indicators

Diagnostic and therapeutic management of Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia, before (2011–2012) and after a protocol adherence intervention (2014–2015)
Variable	Pre-intervention (n = 98)	Post-intervention (n = 85)	p value
Diagnostic workup
Echocardiography performed in complicated SAB patients
TTE	38 (44%)	58 (83%)	< 0.001
TEE	11 (13%)	17 (24%)	0.09
2nd blood cultures obtained after 48–72 h	50 (51%)	72 (85%)	< 0.001
Adequate antibiotic therapy
Yes	38 (39%)	60 (71%)	< 0.001
No	59 (58%)	24 (28%)
Not started	4	0
Inadequate length	53	24
Inadequate dose	3	0
Unknown	1 (1%)	1 (1%)
Intravenous antibiotic treatment
< 14 days	32 (33%)	8 (9%)
≥ 14 days	44 (45%)	58 (68%)
Lost to FU < 14 days	18 (18%)	19 (22%)
Death/withdrawing therapy	15	16
Transfer	2	2
Unknown	1	1
Adequate AB not started	4 (4%)	0 (0%)
Antibiotics stopped due to death or withdrawing therapy
Adequate AB not started	4	0
Yes	23	21
No	65	57
Transfer	5	5
Unknown	1	2
Treatment duration (mean)a	17.3 (n = 65)	23.0 (n = 57)	0.014
Uncomplicated SAB (mean/days)	10.3 (n = 7)	13.8 (n = 15)
Complicated SAB (days, mean)	18.2 (n = 58)	26.3 (n = 42)
Length of hospital stayc (mean, days)	27.5	22.4	NS

SAB, Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia; TTE, transthoracic echocardiography; TEE, transoesophageal echocardiography; FU, follow-up; AB antibiotic treatment; NS, not significant. A p value < 0.05 is considered statistically significant.

^aMean treatment duration. Patients were excluded when adequate antibiotics were not started or if antibiotic therapy was stopped due to death, withdrawing therapy or transfer to a different health care clinic

^bEchocardiography in complicated SAB patients

^cLength of hospital stay was calculated from date positive blood culture was taken till day of discharge. Patients transferred to different hospital were excluded