Pre‐hospital antibiotic therapy preceded by blood cultures in a physician‐manned mobile emergency care unit

Abstract Background Rapid recognition and antibiotic treatment, preferably preceded by blood cultures (BCs), is a mainstay in sepsis therapy. The objective of this investigation was to determine if pre‐hospital BCs were feasible drawn with an acceptably low level contamination investigate whether antibiotics administered on correct indications. Methods We performed register‐based study physician‐manned mobile emergency care unit (MECU) operating mixed urban/rural area Denmark. All patients who received the MECU from November 2013 October 2018 reviewed. Outcome measures characterisation microbial findings subsequent in‐hospital confirmation indication for antibiotics. Results One‐hundred‐and‐nineteen pre‐hospitally. Six excluded. One‐hundred‐and‐thirteen included study. 107 113 (94.7% [88.8%‐98.0%]). found true pathogen 29 (27.1% [19.0%‐36.6%]) these patients. Nine (8.4% [3.9%‐15.4%]) had contaminated BCs. Forty‐nine all (36.3% [27.4%‐45.9%]) causative pathogens either their or other samples confirming tentative diagnosis. Eighty‐two (72.6% [63.4%‐80.5%]) therapy in‐hospitally, while 27 (23.9% [16.4%‐32.8%]) assigned diagnosis not associated infection. Four (3.5% [1.0%‐8.8%]) died hospital before established. Conclusions Pre‐hospital administration feasible, although somewhat high culture rates. Antibiotics are reasonable