An 81-year-old patient with a complicated medical history was admitted to the hospital for a tracheoesophageal fistula repair.

Discussion

This case highlights the benefit of the T2Bacteria Panel’s turnaround time for species identification. Tigecycline has been associated with high rates of gastrointestinal adverse events such as nausea and vomiting and does not provide adequate coverage of P. aeruginosa. The rapid result provided by T2Bacteria allowed for discontinuation of Tigecycline after only one dose. Additionally, amikacin was added as an antimicrobial known to be effective against P. aeruginosa based on the institution’s antibiogram.

Presentation

An 81-year-old patient with a complicated medical history including diabetes, dysphagia, Parkinson’s Disease, and a history of multiple hospitalizations over the last six months was admitted to the hospital for a tracheoesophageal fistula repair. The patient developed signs and symptoms of pneumonia several days post-operatively. T2Bacteria, blood, sputum, and tracheostomy cultures were obtained after the patient was started on ceftolozane/tazobactam and tigecycline empirically.

Evaluation and Treatment Decision

Vitals

Temp- 36.5, HR- 69BPM

Available labs

WBC- 21.7K CRP- 22.2 mg/dl, PCT – 2.48ng/mL.

T2Bacteria Result

Positive for P. aeruginosa and negative for all other bacterial targets (results available at 5h2min)

Blood Culture Result

no growth reported

Other cultures

Tracheostomy Exit Site: P. aeruginosa, C. albicans; Rectal swab: E. faecium, P. aeruginosa

Decision Making Based on T2Bacteria Results

The patient’s therapy was adjusted based on the T2Bacteria Panel result. Tigecycline was discontinued and the patient was started on amikacin in addition to ceftolozane/tazobactam in order to provide effective coverage for P. aeruginosa.

The patient presented to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms

Discussion

This case highlights the ability of the T2Bacteria^® Panel to provide rapid species identification of causative pathogens in sepsis cases. It examines clinical challenges with current methods, including delayed blood culture growth, as well as polymicrobial infections. A rapid T2Bacteria result could have allowed for more informed treatment decisions, including earlier initiation of antibiotic therapy and earlier admission to the hospital.

Presentation

The patient presented to the emergency department with flu-like symptoms, but at the time, clinical status and workup did not warrant admission. The patient continued to decline and re-presented to the emergency department approximately 18 hours later with shortness of breath. While in the emergency department during the second visit, the blood cultures that were obtained during the earlier visit resulted positive with gram-negative rods, and the prescriber was notified. The patient was subsequently admitted, and empiric antibiotics were initiated.

Patient Selection Criteria

Procalcitonin 10.21

Evaluation and Treatment Decision

Diagnosis

bacteremia

T2Bacteria Result

(sample obtained during initial ED visit): Positive for Pseudomonas aeruginosa and E. coli

Blood culture #1 Result

(obtained during initial ED visit): Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Serratia marcescens
(time to culture positivity: 20.5 hours; time to species ID: ~2.5 days for P. aeruginosa and ~5 days for S. marcescens).

*Note: Verigene assay was performed after detection of the growth of gram-negative rod on the culture. It was positive for the detection of Klebsiella oxytoca only and not the pathogens that grew in blood culture.

Blood culture #2 Result

(obtained during second ED visit): E. coli
(time to culture positivity: 24 hours; time to species ID: ~1.5 days)

Empiric Therapy

meropenem

Decision making based on T2Bacteria Result

Note: T2Bacteria results were not reported as this case was part of an observational study.

The blood cultures that were obtained from the patient upon initial presentation had delayed the growth of gram-negative rods, which were found 22 hours later. The patient was discharged from the emergency department prior to blood culture resulting in positive for growth. The patient continued to decline and re-presented to the emergency room, requiring subsequent admission to the hospital.

Had the T2Bacteria test been performed, and the result been reported immediately after collection, the patient could have potentially avoided the premature discharge from the emergency department and earlier initiation of effective antibiotic therapy.

The patient was admitted to the hospital with COPD exacerbation and respiratory distress.

Discussion

This case highlights how the T2Bacteria Panel can guide treatment by rapidly identifying the causative pathogen in sepsis cases that are missed by blood cultures. Rapid detection of bloodstream infection by T2Bacteria could have allowed for the escalation of effective antibiotic therapy, potentially leading to the prevention of further clinical deterioration.

Presentation

The patient was admitted to the hospital with COPD exacerbation and respiratory distress. They were subsequently transferred to the ICU with respiratory failure requiring intubation and renal failure. Antibiotics were initiated at the time of admission, but no cultures were obtained. The patient continued to have fever and leukocytosis and on day 5 of hospitalization, blood cultures and T2Bacteria Panel were obtained.

Patient Selection Criteria

Patients with sepsis presenting to ICU from the Emergency Department

Evaluation and Treatment Decision

Diagnosis

fever of unknown origin, possible bloodstream infection

T2Bacteria Result

Positive for P. aeruginosa

Blood culture Result

no growth

Empiric Therapy

Ceftriaxone

Decision making based on T2Bacteria Result

T2Bacteria and blood cultures were obtained after 5 days of antibiotic therapy for an infectious workup for persistent leukocytosis and fever of unknown origin. Because this case was part of an observational study, T2Bacteria results were not reported.  Had T2Bacteria been performed and results reported immediately after collection, it may have prompted the physician to add targeted therapy and avoid clinical deterioration.

The patient presented to the Emergency Department with acute respiratory failure and was admitted to the ICU with orders for blood cultures, T2Bacteria, and empiric antibiotics.

Discussion

In this case, rapid detection of bloodstream infection by the T2Bacteria Panel could have allowed for more informed treatment decisions, including the continuation of effective antibiotic therapy, which may have led to the prevention of clinical deterioration.

Presentation

The patient presented to the Emergency Department with acute respiratory failure and was admitted to the ICU with orders for blood cultures, T2Bacteria, and empiric antibiotics.

Patient Selection Criteria

Patients with sepsis presenting to ICU from the Emergency Department

Evaluation and Treatment Decision

Diagnosis

Possible pneumonia

T2Bacteria Result

Positive for P. aeruginosa

Blood culture Result

No growth

Respiratory Culture #1 Result

Enterobacter (resistant to cefepime, susceptible to levofloxacin)

Respiratory Culture #2 Result

P. aeuriginosa (intermediate resistance to levofloxacin, susceptible to cefepime and imipenem)

Empiric Therapy

cefepime, vancomycin

Decision making based on T2Bacteria Result

T2Bacteria and blood cultures were obtained for an infectious workup at the time of admission (T2Bacteria results were not reported, as this case was part of an observational study).

Empiric antibiotics included cefepime and vancomycin. Antibiotic therapy was changed to levofloxacin on day 5 of hospitalization to target the Enterobacter species, which was identified in the first respiratory culture. The patient continued to decline, and a second respiratory culture was obtained on day 10 of hospitalization, which grew P. aeuriginosa with intermediate resistance to levofloxacin. Antibiotics were then escalated to meropenem to treat both respiratory pathogens that were isolated in cultures.

Had the institution known of the rapid T2Bacteria result of P. aeuriginosa, the physician may not have changed therapy to levofloxacin considering the patient’s risk factors and local resistance patterns. Clinical deterioration could potentially have been avoided.

A 45-year-old male presented to an acute care hospital with a perforated small bowel.

Discussion

This case highlights the benefit of T2Candida’s rapid fungal species identification. These results allowed for a prompt escalation of antifungal therapy once a species with a high prevalence of resistance was identified. Additionally, unnecessary antibiotics were discontinued.

Presentation

A 45-year-old male presented to an acute care hospital with a perforated small bowel. He developed septic shock requiring intubation and was effectively treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics. He became hemodialysis-dependent following this episode.  Eventually, a tracheotomy was performed, he was initiated on TPN, and transferred to a long-term acute care (LTAC) hospital.

On admission to the LTAC, he was stable, and a draining fistula was noted. On Day 3 of LTAC admission, the patient developed new fevers and leukocytosis.

Patient Selection Criteria

New-onset suspected sepsis in a patient with risk factors for candidemia

Evaluation and Treatment

Diagnosis

Suspected sepsis and intra-abdominal infection

Empiric Therapy

Vancomycin, Meropenem, and Fluconazole initiated

Blood Culture Result

Negative

T2Candida Panel Result

C. parapsilosis

Decision making based on the T2Candida Result

The nurse and pharmacy were given the results of the T2Candida test. They alerted the infectious diseases pharmacist who, in turn, called the infectious diseases physician. The infectious diseases physician stopped the vancomycin and meropenem.  Antibiogram data from this institution showed greater than 50%  fluconazole resistance in C.parapsilosis blood isolates, so fluconazole was changed to micafungin for a 14-day course.

Discussion

In this case, rapid detection of bloodstream infection by the T2Bacteria Panel could have allowed for more informed treatment decisions, including early initiation of effective antibiotic therapy, potentially leading to prevention of clinical deterioration and avoidance of readmission.

Presentation

64-year-old patient admitted with liver failure, hepatic encephalopathy, and respiratory failure requiring intubation. Blood cultures were ordered as part of an infectious workup, but were negative and no antibiotics were administered. The patient was discharged after 9 days of hospitalization then re-presented the following day with hypotension and acute respiratory failure requiring intubation.

Patient Selection Criteria

Patients with sepsis presenting to ICU from the Emergency Department

Evaluation and Treatment Decision

Diagnosis

Sepsis secondary to UTI

T2Bacteria Panel Result

(obtained during initial admission with blood cultures as part of an observational study) Positive for S. aureus

Blood Culture Result 

(obtained during initial admission) S. vestibularis (1/2 bottles)

Second Blood Culture Result

(obtained during re-admission) No growth

Urine Culture Result 

(obtained during re-admission) S. aureus

Nasal PCR

(obtained during re-admission): Positive for MRSA

Empiric Therapy

(initiated during re-admission) Ceftriaxone; vancomycin added on day 3 of re-admission following urine culture results and clinical deterioration of the patient

Decision making based on T2Bacteria Panel Result

T2Bacteria and blood cultures were obtained for infectious workup during the patient’s initial admission. T2Bacteria sepsis test results were not reported as this case was part of an observational study. Antibiotics were not administered and the patient was discharged after a nine-day hospitalization. Less than 24 hours later, the patient was re-admitted with acute respiratory failure and sepsis secondary to suspected UTI and was found to have S. aureus in urine and nasal PCR positive for MRSA. If the T2Bacteria Panel had been performed and the result reported immediately after collection, it could have prompted the physician to target therapy 11 days sooner and potentially avoid readmission.