Empiric antibiotic treatment and the misuse of culture results and antibiotic sensitivities in patients with community-acquired bacteraemia due to urinary tract infection.

Recent data suggests that culture isolations and susceptibility profiles are overlooked, misinterpreted and are not a major determinant in the process of selecting anti-bacterial therapy. Compliance with empiric antibiotic protocols, relationship between blood culture results, change and selection of secondary antibiotic regimens and effect on outcome and length of hospitalization were assessed prospectively in 134 episodes of community-acquired bacteraemia due to urinary tract infection in adults. Empiric antibiotic protocols were correct in 112 episodes (83.