Inclusion Criteria:

- At least one blood culture positive for S. aureus

- Patients aged ≥18 years

- At least two of four systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) criteria on the
day of positive blood cultures. SIRS criteria are:

- Body temperature less than 36°C(96.8°F) or greater than 38°C(100.4°F)

- Heart rate greater than 90 beats per minute

- Tachypnea (high respiratory rate), with greater than 20 breaths per minute; or,
an arterial partial pressure of carbon dioxide less than 32 mmHg

- WBC less than 4000 cells/mm³ (4 x 109 cells/L) or greater than 12,000 cells/mm³
(12 x 109 cells/L); or the presence of greater than 10% immature neutrophils
(band forms)

Exclusion Criteria:

- Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score > 12 on day of positive blood
cultures

- Survival expected to be < 7 days from positive blood cultures