1041. How Do Healthcare Providers Approach Empiric β-Lactam (BL) Treatment of Bloodstream Infections (BSI) Caused by Gram-Negative Rods (GNRs)? Analysis of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae BSI From the Veterans Health Administration (VHA)

Physicians make decisions regarding antimicrobial chemotherapy based on clinical and demographic factors, choosing initial empiric therapy without knowing the pathogen or its susceptibilities. Given the various treatment options and resistance mechanisms, treatment of GNR BSI is challenging with 30 day mortality approaching 30%. Using a large cohort of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae BSI, we aimed to characterize empiric antibiotic therapy, comparing treatment before and after Gram stain (GS) results, and summarize clinical outcomes