College
Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences
Date of Last Revision
2025-05-08 11:40:24
Major
Biomedical Science
Honors Course
Honors Research for Biology Majors
Number of Credits
2
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science
Date of Expected Graduation
Spring 2025
Abstract
Timely optimization of antibiotic therapy is critical in pediatric patients with blood infections, particularly those caused by Staphylococcus aureus. This retrospective study evaluated the impact of molecular diagnostics on time to optimal therapy and discontinuation of unnecessary antibiotics at Akron Children’s Hospital from January 2020 to April 2023. Patients with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) were more likely to be on appropriate empiric therapy (i.e. vancomycin) before culture results, whereas Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) cases were de-escalated to beta-lactams. The median time to optimal therapy was 3.7 hours for episodes of MSSA. Infectious Disease (ID) consultation significantly influenced antibiotic management, with patients admitted directly to the ID service achieving faster discontinuation of antibiotics (median 10.9 hours) compared to those without consults (57.6 hours; p = 0.018). Among cases with contaminated blood cultures, 62% received antibiotics despite contamination, and the median discontinuation time was 44.5 hours. These findings underscore the importance of integrating molecular diagnostics with robust antimicrobial stewardship practices, including early ID involvement and education on culture interpretation. Future directions include system-level interventions, such as automated EMR alerts and mandatory ID consults, to enhance the timeliness and appropriateness of antibiotic therapy in pediatric bacteremia.
Research Sponsor
Brian Bagatto
First Reader
Kelly Williamson
Second Reader
Shankar Upadhyayula
Honors Faculty Advisor
Brian Bagatto
Proprietary and/or Confidential Information
No
Recommended Citation
Humchad, Manith and Williamson, Kelly, "Assessing Impact of Molecular Diagnostics On Time to Optimal Antibiotic Therapy in Pediatric Staphylococcal Bacteremia" (2025). Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects. 2018.
https://ideaexchange.uakron.edu/honors_research_projects/2018