The real-world impact of the BioFire FilmArray blood culture identification 2 panel on antimicrobial stewardship among patients with bloodstream infections in intensive care units with a high burden of drug-resistant pathogens

Background

The increasing prevalence of drug-resistant pathogens leads to delays in adequate antimicrobial treatment in intensive care units (ICU). The real-world influence of the BioFire FilmArray Blood Culture Identification 2 (BCID2) panel on pathogen identification, diagnostic concordance with conventional culture methods, and antimicrobial stewardship in the ICU remains unexplored.

Methods

This retrospective observational study, conducted from July 2021 to August 2023, involved adult ICU patients with positive blood cultures who underwent BCID2 testing. The concordance between BCID2 and conventional culture results was examined, and its impact on antimicrobial stewardship was assessed through a comprehensive retrospective review of patient records by intensivists.

Results

A total of 129 blood specimens from 113 patients were analysed. Among these patients, a high proportion of drug-resistant strains were noted, including carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) (57.1%), carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter calcoaceticus-baumannii complex (100%), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (70%), and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) (100%). The time from blood culture collection to obtaining BCID2 results was significantly shorter than conventional culture (46.2 h vs. 86.9 h, p < 0.001). BCID2 demonstrated 100% concordance in genotype–phenotype correlation in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) for CRKP, carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli, MRSA, and VRE. A total of 40.5% of patients received inadequate empirical antimicrobial treatment. The antimicrobial regimen was adjusted or confirmed in 55.4% of patients following the BCID2 results.

Conclusions

In the context of a high burden of drug-resistant pathogens, BCID2 demonstrated rapid pathogen and AMR detection, with a noticeable impact on antimicrobial stewardship in BSI in the ICU.