Background: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is frequently encountered in hospitals, with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Duration of antimicrobial treatment for SAB, other than in cases of Infective endocarditis (IE), recommended by different guidelines relies on risk stratification for relapse of infection rather than definite diagnosis of septic foci that eventually determine the relapse rate. In recently published studies fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET CT was found to be a sensitive imaging test for identifying metastatic infectious foci in Gram-positive bacteremia, including SAB. Objectives: To examine the impact of using FDG PET CT in the diagnostic algorithm of non-IE SAB compared to standard treatment recommendations on treatment duration and clinical outcomes. Methods: A prospective interventional non-comparative cohort study conducted at Rambam Health Care Campus. Patients with SAB, defined as microbiologically and clinically, will undergo FDG PET CT 10-14 days following the first positive blood culture for diagnosis of septic extra-cardiac foci of infection. Patients with IE will be excluded. Short (2 weeks) versus long treatment (4-6 weeks) will be recommended for negative and positive PET CT tests, respectively. Patients will be followed-up for 1 year for relapse of infection and mortality. We will document the sensitivity and specificity of PET CT for detection of complications among patients with SAB. We will examine the percentage of patients in whom the use of PET CT changed treatment duration compared to standard recommendations. We will compare also, the relapse rate and 1 year mortality rate with data from previous studies and local data. Assuming a 15% rate of management changes compared to consensus recommendations, a sample of 150 patients will achieve the required 95% CI. Significance: Our trial will serve for improving decision making in patients with non-IE SAB, shortening treatment duration in unnecessary cases and decreasing relapse rate by giving prolonged appropriate treatment for metastatic infection not identified by standard management algorithms. PET CT is assuming an increasingly important role in infection diagnosis and management. The current study will be the first to examine the role of PET CT in directing management of patients with SAB.
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Management changes triggered by PET CT (percentage of management changes triggered by PET CT will be documented per patient group)
Timeframe: 1 year