SHM Converge Scientific Abstract ePoster Gallery-When "Stat" Is Stagnant - Delays in Time From Antibiotic Order to Administration in Patients Presenting With Suspected Sepsis

When "Stat" Is Stagnant - Delays in Time From Antibiotic Order to Administration in Patients Presenting With Suspected Sepsis

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This retrospective UCSF emergency department study examined delays between a “STAT” antibiotic order and actual antibiotic administration in patients with suspected sepsis from January 2019 to June 2021. The investigators focused on the first antibiotic order and defined a delay as more than 60 minutes from order to administration.<br /><br />Among 6,784 patients, 32% experienced delayed antibiotic administration. The study found that delays were associated with several patient and system factors, including female sex, weekday presentation, non-emergent ED acuity, non-ICU/acute-care admission, and movement from the ED to an inpatient unit before the antibiotic was given. Vancomycin was also strongly associated with delay, likely reflecting its preparation and administration process.<br /><br />Compared with patients who received timely antibiotics, those with delayed administration were more likely to be female, present with lower acuity, have a longer time from ED admission to antibiotic order, be admitted to lower levels of care, and receive vancomycin. Most antibiotics were ordered and administered in the ED, but delays were more common when ordering and administration occurred across different locations, especially if patients transferred out of the ED.<br /><br />The authors conclude that time from antibiotic order to administration is an important quality metric in sepsis care, especially under the Surviving Sepsis Campaign’s 1-hour bundle. They suggest that delays after order placement are common and may be modifiable through targeted quality improvement efforts, particularly around vancomycin workflows and transitions between ED and inpatient units.

Asset Subtitle

Zoe M. Lyon

Meta Tag

Author List Kirsten N. Kangelaris, Priya A. Prasad, Sandra Oreper, Zoe M. Lyon

Category Research

Concept Sepsis

Concept Antibiotic administration

Concept Time to Antibiotics

Concept Suspected Sepsis

Concept Surviving Sepsis Campaign

Distinguished Non-Finalist

Presenter Organization UCSF School of Medicine

Presenting Author Zoe M. Lyon

Track Quality Improvement

Keywords

sepsis

emergency department

antibiotic delay

STAT order

antibiotic administration

retrospective study

vancomycin

quality improvement

Surviving Sepsis Campaign

patient transfer

Sepsis

Antibiotic administration

Time to Antibiotics

Suspected Sepsis

Surviving Sepsis Campaign