180Effect of Antimicrobial Treatment Duration on recovery of Bacteria in Sterile Specimens Submitted for Culture

Background. Early initiation of antibiotics results in cultures that are unrevealing, resulting in potentail over use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. We performed a prospective study of PCR and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS) assay in development for detection of bacteria directly from sterile surgical specimens obtained after antibiotic treatment had been initiated. Methods. We prospectively identified 111 cases of suspected bacterial infection in which sterile specimens were submitted for culture after the initiation of antibiotics. Patients were stratified based on days of antibiotic treatment (DOT). Conventional aerobic and anaerobic culture results were compared to PCR/ESI-MS. Agreement was assessed by Kappa score. PCR&ESI-MS vs Culture results Stratified by DOT (N=111)