In a study conducted by Lee Health System clinicians at Lee Memorial Hospital, Fort Myers, Florida, T2Bacteria® Panel research use only (RUO) results were compared to the conventional standard of care culture results. This comparison allows an analysis of how the use of the T2Bacteria Panel could have potentially changed clinical practice and outcomes.
The Patient
An 84-year-old male with diabetes, prostate cancer, and end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis.
Presentation
The patient was experiencing chills during dialysis. The patient had not been feeling well for a week and was complaining of weakness, nausea, and vomiting. The patient was found to have a fever of 101.7 and lactic acid of 3.2, while urinalysis was negative.
Empiric Therapy Decision
The patient was started on vancomycin and piperacillin-tazobactam. Piperacillin-tazobactam was discontinued on day 3 based on the blood culture result.
Culture Result
Blood culture was positive for S. aureus on day 3.
Paired T2Bacteria Result
Positive for S. aureus, negative for E. coli, E. faecium, P. aeruginosa, and K. pneumoniae.
Case Study Analysis
T2Bacteria® would have accelerated the clinical care pathway for this patient. With the T2Bacteria results in hours, piperacillin-tazobactam could have been discontinued two days earlier, on day 1. The S. aureus positive confirmed that the infection was being appropriately managed with the vancomycin.
An early T2Bacteria result could have reduced other health risks through an appropriate discontinuation of unnecessary antibiotic therapy. For example, extended antibiotic treatment is associated with increased risk of a Clostridium difficile infection. In addition, many patients with extended antibiotic treatment experience increased risk of nephrotoxicity, though in this case study, the patient was already on dialysis.
