Targeted Antibiotic Therapy in Endocarditis Case with T2Bacteria

A T2Bacteria result facilitated the diagnosis of infective endocarditis that led to the rapid initiation of targeted antibiotic therapy in a critically ill patient with prosthetic valve endocarditis. Fast species ID enabled targeted treatment 8 days before blood culture results were available.
A 20-year-old patient with a history of lupus presented to the emergency department with shortness of breath.

Discussion

This case highlights the benefit of T2Bacteria’s rapid bacterial species identification, which enabled early identification of the causative pathogen in a critically ill, immunocompromised patient. Bacterial infections commonly occur following the successful treatment of viral infections.  These infections are often missed due to prior antimicrobial use, especially in at-risk patient populations, leading to treatment delays and negative clinical outcomes.
A 67-year-old patient had experienced infections, including multi-drug resistant pneumonia, sepsis, and C. difficile colitis during admission.

Discussion

This case highlights the benefit of T2Candida’s rapid fungal species identification, which allowed for the continuation of appropriate antifungal therapy as well as the discontinuation of unnecessary broad-spectrum antibiotics, resulting in clinical improvement.
An elderly patient presented to the ED with a day-long history of fever, shaking, suprapubic pain, vomiting, and diarrhea

Discussion

This case highlights not only T2Bacteria’s ability of rapid identification but also the capability to detect the causative organism and use the result to de-escalate therapy.
An elderly patient presented to the ED with nausea, myalgia, and insomnia.

Discussion

This case highlights the benefit of the T2Bacteria Panel’s ability to provide species identification in the presence of antimicrobial therapy rapidly.  Using T2Bacteria enabled the identification of E.coli in a patient on inadequate therapy for a urinary tract infection (UTI).
A severely dehydrated elderly patient was admitted for septic shock overnight.

Discussion

This case highlights not only T2Bacteria’s ability to rapidly identify specific bacterial pathogens in whole blood but also the capability to detect the causative organism in the presence of antibiotics where blood cultures remained negative, as well as an opportunity to use the result to de-escalate therapy.
According to the CDC, of the 154 million prescriptions for antibiotics written in doctors’ offices and emergency departments each year, 30% are unnecessary.12