An Integrated Clinical Microbiology Service Ensures Optimal Early Empirical Antimicrobial Therapy for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Bloodstream Infection Reply

Hospital epidemiology, infection control, antibiotic stewardship, multidrug-resistant organisms, device-related infections, surgical site infections, catheter-associated bloodstream infections, cost of infections, infections in community hospitals

During the past 8 years my research interests have changed from a focus on tick-borne disease and endocarditis to a primary focus on healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). Specifically, I have been interested in HAIs in community hospitals. Using prospective data collected as part of our surveillance activities in the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network (DICON), I and my colleagues have focused on these specific areas of research: • The accuracy and reliability of s