Background: The antibiotic use optimization program (PROA) in Catalonia (Spain) is part of the surveillance program for nosocomial infections in hospitals in Catalonia (VINCat). Despite the existence of guidelines for the treatment of urinary tract infections in hospitals, adherence to them is not guaranteed. Objective: Our objective was to evaluate the adequacy of empirical antimicrobial therapy to local guidelines in bacteremia caused by Escherichia coli of urinary source within the PROA-VINCat program during a 3-year period. The impact of a voluntary survey asking for evaluating local results and implementing correction measures was also analyzed. Methods: Multicentric prospective observational study including all episodes of E. coli bacteremia of urinary source between May 2017 and September 2019, in adult hospitalized patients in 45 Catalan hospitals. Adequacy of the empirical therapy to local guidelines was one of the prospectively recorded items. A survey evaluating local results of 2017–2018 and asking for possible correcting measures was sent to the participating centers at the end of 2018. Percentages of adequacy of empirical antimicrobial therapy in 2017, 2018, and 2019 were compared by means of χ2 test. Results: Overall, 3,804 episodes of bacteremia were recorded: 845 in 2017, 1,861 in 2018 and 1,098 until September 30, 2019. Globally, adequacy of empirical therapy to guidelines increased from 73.7% in 2017 to 78.2% in 2019 (P = .06). Interestingly, in the 24 hospitals that responded to the voluntary survey, the adequacy of empirical therapy increased significantly from 72.9% in 2017 to 79.9% in 2019 (P = .009). In hospitals that did not respond, adequacy remained the same over the years (76.7% in 2017, 75.1% in 2019; P = .90). Correction measures applied were: meeting with the antimicrobial stewardship team to evaluate the results (100%), review of local resistance rates (62%), review of local guidelines (58.3%), improving guidelines dissemination (75%), sessions for improving guidelines adherence (58%), and analysis of adherence to guidelines after education (65%). Conclusions: In the empirical treatment of E. coli bacteremia of urinary source, adequacy to local antimicrobial therapy guidelines improved from 2017 to 2019, but only in hospitals answering a voluntary survey regarding correcting measures for improving adequacy. Adherence to antimicrobial stewardship proposals improves indicators at local and regional level.

Funding: None

Disclosures: Juan Pablo Horcajada reports consulting fees from MSD, Pfizer, and Menarini and speaker honoraria from MSD, Pfizer, and Zambon.