Improving empiric antibiotic prescribing in pediatric bloodstream infections: a potential application of weighted-incidence syndromic combination antibiograms (WISCA).

Background: Increasing antibiotic resistance to WHO-recommended first- and second-line treatments of pediatric sepsis requires adaptation of prescribing guidelines. We discuss the potential and limitations of a weighted-incidence syndromic combination antibiogram (WISCA) as a practical tool for incorporating local microbiology data when assessing empiric coverage of commonly used antibiotics.

Research Design And Methods: A brief questionnaire of 18 clinically significant isolates from pediatric blood cultures (Jan-Dec 2018) was sent to a global network of pediatric hospitals in July 2019.