Duration of antibiotic treatment and timing of oral switch for bloodstream infections: a survey on the practices of infectious diseases and intensive care physicians

This study was designed to understand current practice in duration of antibiotic treatment and timing of intravenous (iv) to oral switch for common bacteraemic conditions amongst infectious diseases (ID) and intensive care unit (ICU) physicians. An online survey consisting of 18 questions comprising five common clinical bacteremia scenarios (adapted from the original survey designed by University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)) was conducted amongst Turkish ID and ICU physicians between November 2020 and November 2021. A total of 236 physicians (76.5 % ID and 17.5 % ICU) responded. The most commonly recommended duration for bacteremia was 14 days (42%), followed by 10 (27%) and 7 (18%) days. The median (IQR) recommended durations were 10 (10-14) days for central venous catheter associated bloodstream infection, 10 (7-14) days for bacteraemic pneumonia, 14 (10-14) days for bacteraemic urinary tract and intraabdominal infections, and 14 days (7-14) for bacteraemic skin and soft tissue infection. Carbapenem resistance but not pathogen type influenced the recommendations. There was not a significant difference in responses for most scenarios between ID and ICU physicians. A switch to oral antibiotics after a median duration of 7 (IQR 5-7) days of iv treatment was considered by 80% of respondents. Prolonged treatment was recommended for most clinical scenarios. Extended iv durations were recommended before oral switch. A presumption that resistant bacterial infections require longer therapy may be responsible for prolonged treatment durations.