Urine culture guided antibiotic interventions: A pharmacist driven antimicrobial stewardship effort in the ED

Predicting antibiotic susceptibility in urinary tract infection with artificial intelligence-model performance in a multi-centre cohort

Objective

To develop an artificial intelligence model to predict an antimicrobial susceptibility pattern in patients with urinary tract infection (UTI).

Materials and methods

26 087 adult patients with culture-proven UTI during 2015-2020 from a university teaching hospital and three community hospitals in Hong Kong were included. Cases with asymptomatic bacteriuria (absence of diagnosis code of UTI, or absence of leucocytes in urine microscopy) were excluded. Patients from 2015 to 2019 were included in the training set, while patients from the year 2020 were included as the test set.Three first-line antibiotics were chosen for prediction of susceptibility in the bacterial isolates causing UTI: namely nitrofurantoin, ciprofloxacin and amoxicillin-clavulanate. Baseline epidemiological factors, previous antimicrobial consumption, medical history and previous culture results were included as features. Logistic regression and random forest were applied to the dataset. Models were evaluated by F1-score and area under the curve-receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC).

Results

Random forest was the best algorithm in predicting susceptibility of the three antibiotics (nitrofurantoin, amoxicillin-clavulanate and ciprofloxacin). The AUC-ROC values were 0.941, 0.939 and 0.937, respectively. The F1 scores were 0.938, 0.928 and 0.906 respectively.

Conclusions

Random forest model may aid judicious empirical antibiotics use in UTI. Given the reasonable performance and accuracy, these accurate models may aid clinicians in choosing between different first-line antibiotics for UTI.

European society of clinical microbiology and infectious diseases guidelines for antimicrobial stewardship in emergency departments (endorsed by European association of hospital pharmacists)

SCOPE

This European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases guideline provides evidence-based recommendations to support a selection of appropriate antibiotic use practices for patients seen in the emergency department (ED) and guidance for their implementation. The topics addressed in this guideline are (a) Do biomarkers or rapid pathogen tests improve antibiotic prescribing and/or clinical outcomes? (b) Does taking blood cultures in common infectious syndromes improve antibiotic prescribing and/or clinical outcomes? (c) Does watchful waiting without antibacterial therapy or with delayed antibiotic prescribing reduce antibiotic prescribing without worsening clinical outcomes in patients with specific infectious syndromes? (d) Do structured culture follow-up programs in patients discharged from the ED with cultures pending improve antibiotic prescribing?

METHODS

An expert panel was convened by European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases and the guideline chair. The panel selected in consensus the four most relevant antimicrobial stewardship topics according to pre-defined relevance criteria. For each main question for the four topics, a systematic review was performed, including randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Both clinical outcomes and stewardship process outcomes related to antibiotic use were deemed relevant. The literature searches were conducted between May 2021 and March 2022. In April 2022, the panel members were formally asked to suggest additional studies that were not identified in the initial searches. Data were summarized in a meta-analysis if possible or otherwise summarized narratively. The certainty of the evidence was classified according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. The guideline panel reviewed the evidence per topic critically appraising the evidence and formulated recommendations through a consensus-based process. The strength of the recommendations was classified as strong or weak. To substantiate the implementation process, implementation trials or observational studies describing facilitators/barriers for implementation were identified from the same searches and were summarized narratively.

RECOMMENDATIONS

The recommendations on the use of biomarkers and rapid pathogen diagnostic tests focus on the initiation of antibiotics in patients admitted through the ED. Their effect on the discontinuation or de-escalation of antibiotics during hospital stay was not reported, neither was their effect on hospital infection prevention and control practices. The recommendations on watchful waiting (i.e. withholding antibiotics with some form of follow-up) focus on specific infectious syndromes for which the primary care literature was also included. The recommendations on blood cultures focus on the indication in three common infectious syndromes in the ED explicitly excluding patients with sepsis or septic shock. Most recommendations are based on very low and low certainty of evidence, leading to weak recommendations or, when no evidence was available, to best practice statements. Implementation of these recommendations needs to be adapted to the specific settings and circumstances of the ED. The scarcity of high-quality studies in the area of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED highlights the need for future research in this field.

Follow-up of patients with urinary tract infections discharged from the emergency department: a mixed methods study

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the quality of culture follow-up after emergency department (ED) discharge in patients with urinary tract infections (UTIs).

METHODS

This convergent mixed methods study included an observational cohort study and a qualitative interview study in UTI patients discharged from the ED of a Dutch university hospital. The primary outcomes of the observational study were the proportion of patients requiring adjustment of antibiotic therapy after culture review, and the proportion of patients in whom these adjustments were made. Logistic regression identified factors associated with these outcomes. Interviews assessed patient experiences and transcripts were analysed using inductive thematic content analysis. Integration of the results informed recommendations for high-quality follow-up.

RESULTS

Out of 455 patients, 285 (63%) required culture-based treatment adjustments. In most patients, no adjustments were made (239/285, 84%). De-escalation was most frequently omitted (98%), followed by discontinuation of antibiotics (92%). A mean of 7.1 (SD  3.8) antibiotic days per patient could have been avoided in 103 patients. Patients with diabetes were less likely to require adjustments (aOR   0.50, 95%-CI  0.29-0.85). Patients with moderate or severe renal impairment (aOR  4.1, 95%-CI  1.45-11.33; aOR  4.2, 95%-CI   1.50-11.94) or recurrent UTIs (aOR  5.0, 95%-CI  2.27-11.18) were more likely to have received necessary adjustments. Twelve interviews also revealed varying degrees of follow-up. Three themes were identified: 'information and communication', 'coordination and accessibility of care' and 'individual needs and preferences'. Recommendations for high-quality follow-up advocate a person centred approach.

CONCLUSIONS

This study highlights the importance of urine culture follow-up after ED discharge, mainly to reduce unnecessary antibiotic treatment, promote de-escalation and improve patient experience.

A pharmacist-driven deprescribing protocol for negative urine and sexually transmitted infection cultures in the emergency department increases antibiotic-free days

PURPOSE

Emergency department (ED) pharmacists commonly perform positive culture follow-ups that result in optimized antibiotic prescribing. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential positive impact on the outcome of antibiotic-free days through an ED pharmacist-driven protocol to contact patients with negative urine cultures and sexually transmitted infection (STI) test results who were discharged with antibiotics.

METHODS

This was a single-center, prospective, observational, pre-post intervention study to determine antibiotic use in patients with negative urine cultures who were discharged from the Loyola Medical University Center ED with antibiotics prescribed. Patients were identified through daily positive culture reports. The primary outcome was days free of antibiotics, defined as the number of calendar days within 28 days after urine culture or STI test collection on which the patient did not receive any antibiotic treatments.

RESULTS

One hundred ninety-two patients were screened. Sixty-three and twenty-six patients met the inclusion criteria in the pre- and postintervention groups, respectively. The study identified 163/465 (35.1%) antibiotic free days for the preintervention group, compared to 150.5/187 (80.5%) antibiotic-free days for the postintervention group. A majority of the patients did not have urinary tract infection as the chief complaint. The most common urinary and STI symptoms upon ED admission in the pre- and postintervention groups were dysuria (19.2% vs 28.1%) and unusual discharge (30.8% vs 28.6%), respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study showed that a pharmacist-driven protocol increased the number of antibiotic-free days for patients prescribed empiric antibiotic therapy and discharged from the ED with subsequent negative urine cultures and STI results. We propose taking a novel approach in discontinuation of antibiotics by implementing an expansion of ED culture programs to include negative cultures that promote antimicrobial stewardship.

What works for and what hinders deimplementation of low-value care in emergency medicine practice? A scoping review

OBJECTIVES

Low-value care can harm patients and healthcare systems. Despite a decade of global endeavours, low value care has persisted. Identification of barriers and enablers is essential for effective deimplementation of low-value care. This scoping review is an evidence summary of barriers, enablers and features of effective interventions for deimplementation of low-value care in emergency medicine practice worldwide.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods scoping review was conducted using the Arksey and O'Malley framework.

DATA SOURCES

Medline, CINAHL, Embase, EMCare, Scopus and grey literature were searched from inception to 5 December 2022.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Primary studies which employed qualitative, quantitative or mixed-methods approaches to explore deimplementation of low-value care in an EM setting and reported barriers, enablers or interventions were included. Reviews, protocols, perspectives, comments, opinions, editorials, letters to editors, news articles, books, chapters, policies, guidelines and animal studies were excluded. No language limits were applied.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Study selection, data collection and quality assessment were performed by two independent reviewers. Barriers, enablers and interventions were mapped to the domains of the Theoretical Domains Framework. The Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool was used for quality assessment.

RESULTS

The search yielded 167 studies. A majority were quantitative studies (90%, 150/167) that evaluated interventions (86%, 143/167). Limited provider abilities, diagnostic uncertainty, lack of provider insight, time constraints, fear of litigation, and patient expectations were the key barriers. Enablers included leadership commitment, provider engagement, provider training, performance feedback to providers and shared decision-making with patients. Interventions included one or more of the following facets: education, stakeholder engagement, audit and feedback, clinical decision support, nudge, clinical champions and training. Multifaceted interventions were more likely to be effective than single-faceted interventions. Effectiveness of multifaceted interventions was influenced by fidelity of the intervention facets. Use of behavioural change theories such as the Theoretical Domains Framework in the published studies appeared to enhance the effectiveness of interventions to deimplement low-value care.

CONCLUSION

High-fidelity, multifaceted interventions that incorporated education, stakeholder engagement, audit/feedback and clinical decision support, were administered daily and lasted longer than 1 year were most effective in achieving deimplementation of low-value care in emergency departments. This review contributes the best available evidence to date, but further rigorous, theory-informed, qualitative and mixed-methods studies are needed to supplement the growing body of evidence to effectively deimplement low-value care in emergency medicine practice.

An Initiative to Stop Antibiotics Prescribed for Urinary Symptoms When Urine Culture Is Negative

ABSTRACT

Urinary symptoms pose frequent diagnostic and management challenges in the emergency department (ED). In our regional health system, we identified the problem of patients started on antibiotics for urinary symptoms in the ED without a process for eventual review or discontinuation if urine culture (UC) later resulted as negative. To address this gap, we implemented a pharmacist-driven follow-up process to discontinue antibiotics after a negative UC. After project implementation, cases reviewed by a pharmacist increased from 0% to 96.7%. Patients contacted to discontinue antibiotics increased from 0% to 40% postintervention. This process improvement is now shared across five rural departments. Our results have broad applicability in any ED environment.

Implementation of an asymptomatic bacteriuria assessment protocol for patients discharged from the emergency department

Objective

We evaluated the impact of an asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) assessment protocol on the number of antibiotics prescribed for ASB after discharge from the emergency department (ED).

Design

Single-center, before-and-after, retrospective cohort study.

Setting

The study was conducted at a large community health system in North Carolina.

Patients

Eligible patients were discharged from an ED without an antibiotic prescription and had a positive urine culture result after discharge from May through July 2021 (preimplementation group) and October through December 2021 (postimplementation group).

Methods

Patient records were reviewed to determine the number of antibiotic prescriptions for ASB on follow-up call before and after implementation of an ASB assessment protocol. Secondary outcomes included 30-day admissions, 30-day ED visits, 30-day UTI-related encounters, and projected antibiotic days of therapy.

Results

The study included 263 patients: 147 in the preimplementation group and 116 in the postimplementation group). There were significantly fewer antibiotic prescriptions for ASB in the postimplementation group (50% vs 87%; P < .0001). There were no differences in the incidence of 30-day admissions (7% vs 8%; P = .9761), 30-day ED visits (14% vs 16%; P = .7805), or 30-day UTI-related encounters (0% vs 0%, NA).

Conclusions

Implementation of an ASB assessment protocol for patients discharged from the ED significantly reduced the number of antibiotic prescriptions for ASB on follow-up call without an increase in 30-day admissions, ED visits, or UTI-related encounters.

Risk Factors for Antibiotic Resistant Urinary Pathogens in Patients Discharged From the Emergency Department

Purpose: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most common indications for antimicrobial use in the emergency department (ED). Appropriate empiric selection is crucial to ensure optimal care while limiting broad-spectrum antibiotic use. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between patient-specific risk factors and drug resistant urinary pathogens in patients discharged from the ED and followed by Emergency Medicine Pharmacists (EMPs). Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review of adult (≥18 years old) patients with positive urine cultures discharged from the ED. The association between risk factors and pathogen resistance to ≥1 classes of antibiotics was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression. Risk factors included the following: hospitalization within the previous 30 days, intravenous antibiotic use within 90 days, diabetes, clinical atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, psychiatric disorder, dementia, current antibiotic use for any indication, previous lifetime history of UTIs, indwelling or intermittent catheterization, hemodialysis, previous lifetime history of a urologic procedure, urinary tract abnormality, immunosuppressive disease or medications, current residence in a nursing or rehabilitation facility, and history of a multidrug resistant organism (MDRO). Results: A total of 1018 patients were included. There was an increase in the odds of antibiotic resistance in patients with cystitis and ≥2 risk factors (Odds Ratio [OR] = 1.70, 95% CI = 1.24-2.32). In those with pyelonephritis, there was a non-significant increase in the odds of resistance for those with ≥2 risk factors (OR = 1.83, 95% CI = 0.98-3.42). Patients with pyelonephritis discharged on inappropriate antibiotics were more likely to return to the ED within 30 days (P = .03). Conclusions: For patients with cystitis discharged from the ED, those with ≥2 patient-specific risk factors had significantly increased odds of antibiotic resistance. Patients with pyelonephritis, but not cystitis, who were discharged on inappropriate antibiotics were more likely to return to the ED within 30 days. In conjunction with an EMP culture follow-up program, the identification of risk factors for antimicrobial resistance can be used to design more patient-specific empiric antibiotic selections.

Substantial overlap between symptomatic and asymptomatic genitourinary microbiota states

BACKGROUND

The lack of a definition of urinary microbiome health convolutes diagnosis of urinary tract infections (UTIs), especially when non-traditional uropathogens or paucity of bacteria are recovered from symptomatic patients in routine standard-of-care urine tests. Here, we used shotgun metagenomic sequencing to characterize the microbial composition of asymptomatic volunteers in a set of 30 longitudinally collected urine specimens. Using permutation tests, we established a range of asymptomatic microbiota states, and use these to contextualize the microbiota of 122 urine specimens collected from patients with suspected UTIs diagnostically categorized by standard-of-care urinalysis within that range. Finally, we used a standard-of-care culture protocol to evaluate the efficiency of culture-based recovery of the urinary microbiota.

RESULTS

The majority of genitourinary microbiota in individals suspected to have UTI overlapped with the spectrum of asymptomatic microbiota states. Longitudinal characterization of the genitourinary microbiome in urine specimens collected from asymptomatic volunteers revealed fluctuations of microbial functions and taxonomy over time. White blood cell counts from urinalysis suggested that urine specimens categorized as 'insignificant', 'contaminated', or 'no-growth' by conventional culture methods frequently showed signs of urinary tract inflammation, but this inflammation is not associated with genitourinary microbiota dysbiosis. Comparison of directly sequenced urine specimens with standard-of-care culturing confirmed that culture-based diagnosis biases genitourinary microbiota recovery towards the traditional uropathogens Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.

CONCLUSION

Here, we utilize shotgun metagenomic sequencing to establish a baseline of asymptomatic genitourinary microbiota states. Using this baseline we establish substantial overlap between symptomatic and asymptomatic genitourinary microbiota states. Our results establish that bacterial presence alone does not explain the onset of clinical symptoms. Video Abstract.

Development of the Manchester framework for the evaluation of emergency department pharmacy services

BACKGROUND

Many countries, including the United Kingdom, have established Emergency Department (ED) pharmacy services where some ED pharmacists now work as practitioners. They provide both traditional pharmaceutical care and novel practitioner care i.e. clinical examination, yet their impact on quality of care is unknown.

AIM

To develop a framework of structures, processes and potential outcome indicators to support evaluation of the quality of ED pharmacy services in future studies.

METHOD

Framework components (structures, processes and potential outcome indicators) were identified in three ways: from a narrative review of relevant international literature, and separate panel meetings with ED pharmacists and then other ED healthcare professionals. Structures and processes were collated into categories developed iteratively throughout data collection, with outcome indicators collated into six domains of quality as proposed by the Institute of Medicine. These raw data were then processed e.g. outcome indicators screened for clarity i.e. those which explicitly stated what would be measured were included in the framework.

RESULTS

A total of 190 structures, 533 processes, and 503 outcome indicators were identified. Through data processing a total of 153 outcome indicators were included in the final framework divided into the domains safe (32), effective (50), patient centred (18), timely (24), efficient (20) and equitable (9).

CONCLUSION

The first framework specific to the quality evaluation ED pharmacy services, service evaluators should validate potential outcome indicators prior to their use. The minimum expected of a high-quality service should also be defined to enable interpretation of relevant measurements.

The Five Ds of Outpatient Antibiotic Stewardship for Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are one of the most common indications for antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting. Given rising rates of antibiotic resistance among uropathogens, antibiotic stewardship is critically needed to improve outpatient antibiotic use, including in outpatient clinics (primary care and specialty clinics) and emergency departments. Outpatient clinics are in general a neglected practice area in antibiotic stewardship programs, yet most antibiotic use in the United States is in the outpatient setting. This article provides a comprehensive review of antibiotic stewardship strategies for outpatient UTI in the adult population, with a focus on the "five Ds" of stewardship for UTI, including right diagnosis, right drug, right dose, right duration, and de-escalation. Stewardship interventions that have shown success for improving prescribing for outpatient UTI are discussed, including diagnostic stewardship strategies, such as reflex urine cultures, computerized decision support systems, and modified reporting of urine culture results. Among the many challenges to achieving stewardship for UTI in the outpatient setting, some of the most important are diagnostic uncertainty, increasing antibiotic resistance, limitations of guidelines, and time constraints of stewardship personnel and front-line providers. This article presents a stewardship framework, built on current evidence and expert opinion, that clinicians can use to guide their own outpatient management of UTI.

Changes in the management of urinary tract infections in women: impact of the new recommendations on antibiotic prescribing behavior in France, between 2014 and 2019

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common infections that require antibiotic therapy. In December 2015, new guidelines for UTI management were published in France with the aim of reducing antibiotic misuse and the risk of antimicrobial resistance.

OBJECTIVES

To analyze changes in antibiotic prescribing behavior for acute uncomplicated UTI in women in France from 2014 to 2019.

METHODS

Retrospective study using data extracted from the medico-administrative database 'OpenMedic' that is linked to the French National Health Data System and collects data on the reimbursement of prescribed drugs. The analyses focused on the number of boxes of antibiotics delivered by community pharmacies, the molecule class, and the prescriber's specialty.

RESULTS

Overall, antibiotic dispensing by community pharmacies increased by 2% between 2014 and 2019, but with differences in function of the antibiotic class. The use of antibiotics recommended as first-line and second-line treatment increased (+ 41% for fosfomycin and + 7430% for pivmecillinam). Conversely, the dispensing of lomefloxacin and norfloxacin decreased by 80%, and that of ciprofloxacin by 26%. Some antibiotics were mostly prescribed by general practitioners (lomefloxacin, pivmecillinam) and others by secondary care physicians (ofloxacin). Dispensing increased for antibiotics prescribed by secondary care physicians (+ 13% between 2014 and 2019) and decreased for antibiotics prescribed by GPs (- 2% for the same period).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that the new recommendations are followed, as indicated by the increased prescription of fosfomycin and pivmecillinam and decreased prescription of fluoroquinolones. However, the efficient transmission and implementation of new recommendations by practitioners requires time, means and dedicated tools.

Improving urinary tract infection treatment through a multifaceted antimicrobial stewardship intervention in the emergency department

BACKGROUND

Urinary tract infection (UTI) is frequently encountered in the emergency department (ED). We assessed an antibiotic stewardship intervention tailored for the ED. The primary objective was improving overall adherence to agent choice and treatment duration. The secondary objective was a decrease in fluoroquinolone prescription.

METHODS

This pre-post study included patients discharged from the ED with a UTI diagnosis. The intensive intervention period lasted three months and involved dissemination of guidelines, short lectures, incorporation of order sets into electronic ED charts and weekly personal audit and feedback. The following 11-month phase was a booster period consisting of monthly text messages of the treatment protocol. Assessment of adherence to the protocol was compared between the three-month pre-intervention period and the last two months of the intensive intervention period, as well as with the last two months of the booster period.

RESULTS

A total of 177 patients were included in the pre-intervention period, 156 in the intervention period, and 94 in the late follow-up assessing the booster period. Median age was 49 (18-94) years, 78.2% were female, 84.8% had cystitis. During the intervention period, protocol adherence with antibiotic selection and duration increased from 41% to 84% (p < 0.001). Adherence remained high in the late follow-up period (73.4% vs. 41%, p < 0.001). Fluoroquinolone use decreased from 19.1% pre-intervention, to 5% in the intervention and 7.4% in the late follow-up periods (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

An antibiotic stewardship intervention in a busy ED resulted in adherence to treatment protocols, including a decrease in fluoroquinolone use. A monthly reminder preserved most of the effect for a year.

Clinical impact of pharmacist-led antibiotic stewardship programs in outpatient settings in the United States: A scoping review

Disclaimer

In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time.

Purpose

To provide an overview of the impact of pharmacist interventions on antibiotic prescribing and the resultant clinical outcomes in an outpatient antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) in the United States.

Methods

Reports on studies of pharmacist-led ASP interventions implemented in US outpatient settings published from January 2000 to November 2020 and indexed in PubMed or Google Scholar were included. Additionally, studies documented at the ClinicalTrials.gov website were evaluated. Study selection was based on predetermined inclusion criteria; only randomized controlled trials, observational studies, nonrandomized controlled trials, and case-control studies conducted in outpatient settings in the United States were included. The primary outcome was the observed differences in antibiotic prescribing or clinical benefits between pharmacist-led ASP interventions and usual care.

Results

Of the 196 studies retrieved for full-text review, a cumulative total of 15 studies were included for final evaluation. Upon analysis, we observed that there was no consistent methodology in the implementation of ASPs and, in most cases, the outcome of interest varied. Nonetheless, there was a trend toward improvement in antibiotic prescribing with pharmacist interventions in ASPs compared with that under usual care (P < 0.05). However, the results of these studies are not easily generalizable.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest a need for a consistent approach for the practical application of outpatient pharmacist-led ASPs. Managed care organizations could play a significant role in ensuring the successful implementation of pharmacist-led ASPs in outpatient settings.

Antibiotic prescribing for adult bacteriuria and pyuria in community hospital emergency departments

OBJECTIVE

To describe emergency department (ED) antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract infections (UTIs) and asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) and to identify improvement opportunities.

METHODS

Patients treated for UTI in 16 community hospital EDs were reviewed to identify prescribing that was unnecessary (any treatment for ASB, duration >7 days for cystitis or >14 days for pyelonephritis) or suboptimal [ineffective antibiotics (nitrofurantoin/fosfomycin) or duration <7 days for pyelonephritis]. Duration criteria were based on recommendations for complicated UTI since criteria for uncomplicated UTI were not reviewed. 14-day repeat ED visits were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of 250,788 ED visits, UTI was diagnosed in 13,466 patients (5%), and 1427 of these (11%) were manually reviewed. 286/1427 [20%, 95% CI: 18-22%] met criteria for ASB and received 2068 unnecessary antibiotic days [mean (±SD) 7 (2) days]. Mean treatment duration was 7 (2) days for cystitis and 9 (2) days for pyelonephritis. Of 446 patients with cystitis, 128 (29%) were prescribed >7 days (total 396 unnecessary). Of 422 pyelonephritis patients, 0 (0%) were prescribed >14 days, 20 (5%) were prescribed <7 days, and 9 (2%) were given ineffective antibiotics. Overall, prescribing was unnecessary or suboptimal in 443/1427 [31%, 95% CI: 29-33%] resulting in 2464/11,192 (22%) unnecessary antibiotic days and 8 (0.5%) preventable ED visits.

CONCLUSIONS

Among reviewed patients, poor UTI prescribing in 16 EDs resulted in unnecessary antibiotic days and preventable readmissions. Key areas for improvement include non-treatment of ASB and shorter durations for cystitis.

Involvement of pharmacist-reviewed urine cultures and sexually transmitted infections in the emergency department reduces time to antimicrobial optimization

PURPOSE

To streamline workflow of the culture review process in the emergency department (ED), a transition from a nurse-driven to a pharmacist-initiated process was implemented.

METHODS

This was a single-center retrospective study conducted at an adult urban level 1 trauma academic medical center. The pharmacist-initiated culture review process was compared to the previous nurse-initiated process. The primary objective was time from final culture result to patient contact by an advanced practice provider. Secondary objectives included incidence of treatment failure and hospital admission within 30 days of ED visit.

RESULTS

A total of 283 patients met inclusion criteria: 144 patients in the pre-intervention group and 139 patients in the postintervention group. Patients were contacted a median time of 15.7 hours (95% confidence interval [CI], 9.88-18.83) earlier for definitive urinary tract infection antibiotic therapy and 46.7 hours (95% CI, 33.34-61.62) earlier for definitive sexually transmitted infection therapy in the pharmacist-initiated workflow compared to the nurse-initiated workflow (P < 0.001). Treatment failure occurred in 0.01% of patients in the postintervention group and 6.3% in the pre-intervention group (P = 0.01). Hospital admission within 30 days of the ED visit occurred in 0% of patients in the postintervention group and 4.2% in the pre-intervention group (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

Pharmacist-initiated culture review in the ED at an academic medical center reduced time from final culture to patient contact for optimal antibiotic therapy and decreased hospital admission and treatment failure rates. A change in the culture review workflow involving pharmacists appears to have a positive impact on clinical outcomes.

The situation of infection in the elderly in Spain: a multidisciplinary opinion document

Infection in the elderly is a huge issue whose treatment usually has partial and specific approaches. It is, moreover, one of the areas where intervention can have the most success in improving the quality of life of older patients. In an attempt to give the widest possible focus to this issue, the Health Sciences Foundation has convened experts from different areas to produce this position paper on Infection in the Elderly, so as to compare the opinions of expert doctors and nurses, pharmacists, journalists, representatives of elderly associations and concluding with the ethical aspects raised by the issue. The format is that of discussion of a series of pre-formulated questions that were discussed by all those present. We begin by discussing the concept of the elderly, the reasons for their predisposition to infection, the most frequent infections and their causes, and the workload and economic burden they place on society. We also considered whether we had the data to estimate the proportion of these infections that could be reduced by specific programmes, including vaccination programmes. In this context, the limited presence of this issue in the media, the position of scientific societies and patient associations on the issue and the ethical aspects raised by all this were discussed.

Impact of a Multifaceted Pharmacist-Led Intervention on Antimicrobial Stewardship in a Gastroenterology Ward: A Segmented Regression Analysis

BACKGROUND

Irrational use of antimicrobial agents for gastrointestinal diseases deserves attention, but corresponding antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are generally not a priority for managers. We conducted this study to evaluate the effectiveness of multifaceted pharmacist-led (MPL) interventions in the gastroenterology ward (GW) to provide evidence for the efficacy of ASPs in a non-priority department.

METHODS

This was an interventional, retrospective study implemented in China. The MPL intervention lasting 1.5 years involved daily ward rounds with physicians, regular review of medical orders, monthly indicator feedback, frequent physician training, and necessary patient education. Data on all hospitalized adults receiving antibiotics was extracted from the hospital information system over a 36-month period from January 2016 to December 2018. Segmented regression analysis of interrupted time series was performed to evaluate the effect of the MPL interventions (started in July 2017) on antibiotic use and length of hospital stay, which was calculated monthly as analytical units.

RESULTS

A total of 1763 patients receiving antibiotics were enrolled. Segmented regression models showed descending trends from the baseline in the intensity of antibiotic consumption (coefficient = -0.88, p = 0.01), including a significant decline in the level of change of the proportion of patients receiving combined antibiotics (coefficient = -9.91, p = 0.03) and average length of hospital stay (coefficient = -1.79, p = 0.00), after MPL interventions. The MPL interventions led to a temporary increase in the proportion of patients receiving antibiotics (coefficient = 4.95, p = 0.038), but this was part of a declining secular trend (coefficient = -0.45, p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

The MPL interventions led a statistically significant decline in the number of patients receiving antibiotics, the antibiotic consumption, and the average hospital stay post-intervention compared to the pre-intervention phase of the study. Health policymakers should actively practice MPL interventions by clinical pharmacists in ASPs in those departments that are not included in priority management.

Appropriateness of Antibiotic Prescriptions for Urinary Tract Infections

Introduction

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are a common indication for antibiotic use in the emergency department (ED). With antibiotic resistance on the rise, it is essential that antibiotics be prescribed appropriately for UTIs. Our objective was to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions by ED providers for uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective study of females ages 2–50 years seen in an academic ED from January 2017 to April 2018 diagnosed with UTI. We assessed the appropriateness of discharge antibiotic prescriptions, as determined by adherence to clinical practice guidelines, best evidence for the particular indication (cystitis vs pyelonephritis for children and adults), and the local antibiogram.

Results

A total of 421 patients were included in this study. Of these, 60 children and 198 adults were diagnosed with cystitis, and 47 children and 116 adults were diagnosed with pyelonephritis. Treatment in the absence of true infection was common, with culture-confirmed UTI occurring in only 17/50 (34%) of children and 60/129 (47%) of adults diagnosed with cystitis, and 23/40 (58%) of children and 58/87 (67%) of adults diagnosed with pyelonephritis, among patients who had urine cultures. The type of antibiotic prescribed was appropriate in 53/60 (88%) of children and 135/198 (68%) of adults with cystitis, and 38/47 (81%) of children and 53/116 (46%) of adults with pyelonephritis. The most common inappropriate antibiotic types were beta-lactams in adults (n = 92), nitrofurantoin for pyelonephritis (n = 16), and amoxicillin (n = 15). Dosing and duration errors were also common, occurring in 122/279 (44%) of prescriptions of an appropriate antibiotic type. The frequency of errors in the type of antibiotic prescribed was similar among provider types (attending physician, resident physician, and advanced practice clinician; p = 0.926).

Conclusion

This study reveals room for improvement in antibiotic prescription practices across provider cohorts in the ED for the management of uncomplicated cystitis and pyelonephritis in females.

The Clinical Pharmacist-Led Consultation for Infectious Diseases in Guizhou Province, China: A Survey Among Hospital Pharmacies

BACKGROUND

As antimicrobial resistance became an increasing threat to global public health, Clinical Pharmacist-led Consultation (CPC) for Infectious Diseases (ID) was developed in China. We conducted a survey among hospital pharmacies to investigate the present situation and potential determinants of CPC for ID in China's Guizhou Province.

METHODS

The study was conducted by sending the questionnaire to the directors of hospital pharmacy who were members of Guizhou Province Pharmaceutical Administration Collaboration Network (GPPACN) from April to May 2019. We implemented the Firth's logistic regression model to analyze the factors that influence the implementation of CPC. The acceptance rate of consultation suggestions (ARCS) and effective response rate after acceptance of pharmacists' suggestions (ERRAPS) were pooled by meta-analysis using a random effect model, respectively. A pairwise meta-analysis was performed to compare the effective response rate between patients whose treatment followed the pharmacists' suggestions and those whose treatment did not.

RESULTS

A total of 83 hospitals covering 9 regions in Guizhou Province were included in this survey. The results showed that 50 hospitals (60.24%) developed the CPC for ID. Staffing ID, respiratory, or general clinical pharmacist had a significantly positive effect on the implementation of CPC [adjusted odds ratios = 7.298, 95% CI (confidence interval): 2.232 to 23.858]. The pooled ARCS and ERRAPS for secondary hospitals were 97.59% (95% CI: 94.27 to 100.00%) and 88.36% (95% CI: 84.71 to 92.17%), respectively. Importantly, CPC improved the prognosis of ID patients [risk ratio (RR) = 6.49, 95% CI: 2.84 to 14.82] in these hospitals.

CONCLUSION

CPC adoption is gradually increasing among hospitals and will be a promising intervention for ID treatment at grassroots medical institutions in Guizhou Province. Training more clinical pharmacists to specialize in ID, respiratory, or general diseases might be the most practical measure to promote the development of CPC for ID.

Impact of a pharmacist-driven education initiative on treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria

PURPOSE

The results and methods of a pharmacist-driven multifaceted educational intervention on the appropriate management of asymptomatic bacteriuria (ABU) within an emergency department (ED) are reported.

METHODS

A retrospective, single-center cohort study was conducted to evaluate the effects of an educational intervention aimed at reducing the rates of mismanaged ABU within an ED at a Level 1 trauma center. The education involved a multifaceted approach directed by pharmacists and involved a handout and algorithm communicated through in-person discussions, emails, and general distribution. In order to evaluate the effectiveness of this education the preintervention and postintervention rates of inappropriate treatments were determined through a retrospective chart review. The primary outcome was the difference in the frequency of inappropriately treated ABU between the preintervention and postintervention periods.

RESULTS

A total of 268 patients were included in the study for review (134 in each group). There was a 16.5% reduction in the frequency of patients that had ABU inappropriately treated as a urinary tract infection in the postintervention period compared with the preintervention period (31 [23.1%] versus 53 [39.6%], p = 0.004).

CONCLUSION

Pharmacist-driven education was effecitive in reducing the rates of inappropriately used antibiotics for ABU within an ED.

Practitioner Education and Feedback to Decrease Ciprofloxacin Prescriptions in Patients with Acute Uncomplicated Cystitis

CONTEXT

Current guidelines recommend a nonfluoroquinolone agent as first-line treatment of acute uncomplicated cystitis (AUC) because of concerns of antimicrobial resistance and adverse effects.

OBJECTIVE

To test whether a multifaceted intervention involving education and feedback reduced primary care practitioners' ciprofloxacin prescriptions for AUC therapy.

DESIGN

Primary care practitioners at 3 medical offices participated: 65 in the intervention group and 51 in the control group. Intervention group participants received an educational lecture and emailed summary of antimicrobial guidelines, their AUC prescriptions were audited, and feedback was provided on inappropriate antibiotic choices. Prescriptions at AUC encounters were tracked during baseline, intervention, and postintervention periods.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Proportion of AUC encounters at which ciprofloxacin was prescribed vs recommended first-line antibiotics.

RESULTS

Intervention group participants had 5262 eligible AUC encounters, and control group participants had 5473. At baseline, ciprofloxacin was prescribed at 29.7% and 33.7% of eligible AUC encounters in the intervention and control groups, respectively (p = 0.003). After intervention, ciprofloxacin was prescribed at 10.8% of eligible AUC encounters in the intervention group and 34.3% in the control (p < 0.001). Adjusted odds ratios of ciprofloxacin prescription for AUC therapy were significantly lower in the intervention group during postintervention and intervention periods vs baseline (0.29, 95% confidence interval = 0.20-0.44, p < 0.001 and 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.66-0.97, p = 0.03). Adjusted odds ratios did not change over time in the controls.

CONCLUSION

Educating primary care practitioners and conducting audit and feedback reduced their prescriptions of ciprofloxacin for AUC therapy.

Evaluation of a health system-wide pharmacist-driven emergency department laboratory follow-up and antimicrobial management program

BACKGROUND

Emergency Department (ED) follow-up programs ensure that cultures, laboratory studies, and empiric antimicrobials are appropriately managed post-discharge. We sought to provide a comprehensive assessment of a pharmacist-driven laboratory follow-up process in a large, integrated health system.

METHODS

A retrospective, observational review of 13 EDs was conducted. Patients were included if they had a laboratory study sent from the ED between December 1, 2017 and May 31, 2018 that did not result while the patient was in the ED. Microbiology results analyzed were urine, wound, respiratory, stool, throat, bacterial vaginosis, vaginal candidiasis, and sexually transmitted infections (STI). Examples of laboratory results assessed were metabolic panels and drug levels. The primary objective was to quantify the number of interventions made by pharmacists.

RESULTS

During a 6-month period, pharmacists reviewed 9107 microbiology results and 6211 laboratory results. The majority of results were urine cultures (3998, 50.6%) followed by STI results (1198, 15.2%). Of 7663 encounters, 39.8% required interventions and/or follow-up with a total of 3049 interventions made and 3333 patients educated. The most common interventions were initiation of therapy (1629, 53.4%), change in medication (505, 16.6%), and follow-up with a clinician (322, 10.6%). Pharmacists reviewed microbiology results and completed interventions in a median of 25.3 h from the time the result was received in the electronic health record.

CONCLUSION

Almost 40% of ED encounters required an intervention after discharge. A pharmacist led laboratory follow-up program is an important adjunct to facilitating stewardship and culture management in the ED.

Collaborative Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Health Department

Given the population-level implications of antibiotic resistance and the importance of antibiotic stewardship in containment and prevention of resistance, public health has a vested interest in strengthening antibiotic stewardship efforts. There are opportunities for public health collaboration at all levels including local health departments, state public health programs, and through federal public health entities. This article discusses existing public health stewardship activities, opportunities for collaboration between public health and key partners in antibiotic stewardship programs, the potential for improvement and expansion of current activities, and possible new modes of collaboration that could be pursued.

BundlED Up: A Narrative Review of Antimicrobial Stewardship Initiatives and Bundles in the Emergency Department

Antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) is becoming an increasingly high priority worldwide, yet the emergency department (ED) is an area where stewardship is often neglected. Implementing care bundles, guidelines, and protocols appears to be a rational strategy for ED stewardship given the inherently dynamic and hectic environment of care. Multiple questions still exist such as whether to target certain disease states, optimal implementation of ASP interventions in the ED, and the benefit of unique ED-specific guidelines and protocols. A narrative review was performed on interventions, guidelines, and bundles implemented in the ED setting, in an effort to improve ASP or management of infectious diseases. This review is meant to serve as a framework for the reader to implement these practices at their own institution. We examined various studies related to ASP interventions or care bundles in the ED which included: CNS infections (one study), skin and soft-tissue infections (one study), respiratory infections (four studies), urinary tract infections and sexually transmitted infections (eight studies), sepsis (two studies), culture follow-up programs (four studies), and stewardship in general or multiple infection types (five studies). The interventions in this review were diverse, yet the majority showed a benefit in clinical outcomes or a decrease in antimicrobial use. Care bundles, guidelines, and antimicrobial stewardship interventions can streamline care and improve the management of common infectious diseases seen in the ED.

Evaluation of a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship service in a pediatric emergency department

Background To improve antimicrobial use, incorporation of a pharmacist in antimicrobial stewardship initiatives in the emergency department has been recommended. Recognizing the potential value, a pharmacist-led antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) service which included review and follow up of microbiology results for patients discharged from the pediatric emergency department (PED) with suspected infections was implemented at our local institution. Objective The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of pharmacists delivering this service compared to usual care. Setting Pediatric emergency department at the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Canada. Method This study was completed as a retrospective chart review of pediatric patients discharged from the PED 6 months before and after implementation of the pharmacist-led AMS service. Data was extracted from electronic medical records. Data were reported descriptively and compared using a two-sided chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression. Main outcome measures The primary outcome measure was rate of return visits to the PED within 96 h of initial presentation. Results This study included 1070 patient encounters pre-implementation and 1040 patient encounters post-implementation. The rate of return visits to the PED within 96 h was 12.0% (129/1070) pre-implementation vs. 10.0% (100/1049) post-implementation (p = 0.07). The rate of return visits or hospitalization at 30 days was 22.1% (237/1070) pre-implementation compared to 19.9% (207/1040) in the post-implementation phase (p = 0.21). Inappropriate antimicrobial therapy was identified more often in the pre-implementation phase (7.0%, 68/975) vs. the post-implementation phase (5.0%, 46/952), p = 0.047. Time to notification within the first day after discharge occurred more frequently in the post-implementation phase (53.3%, 80/150) as compared to the pre-implementation phase (40.3%, 52/129, p = 0.0298). Conclusion Although this pharmacist-led AMS service did not significantly affect the rate of return visits or hospitalization, it may have led to more judicious use of antimicrobial agents and faster time to notification.

A study of time saved by emergency medicine physicians through working with clinical pharmacists in the emergency department

PURPOSE

To describe quantitatively the impact on physician efficiency when an Emergency Medicine Clinical Pharmacist (EMCP) is available to Emergency Department (ED) physicians while working under a collaborative care agreement in a Michigan-based Health System.

METHODS

Four EMCPs each logged and categorized their time during 14 ten hour shifts, for a total of 56 shifts or 560 total hours worked. There were nine categories observed including: culture call back, urine, blood, or other culture follow up, antibiotic changes, patient call-backs, pharmacy call backs, critically ill, and general questions.

RESULTS

EMCPs saved ED physicians an average of 75 min per shift, with the highest yield categories being general questions (25.2 min per shift (mps), standard error (SE) = 2.67), critically ill patient service (11.5 mps, SE = 2.66), and urine culture follow-ups (11.3 mps, SE = 1.05).

CONCLUSIONS

EMCPs in the ED save physicians a significant amount of time per shift, and categorically the most time saved was in fielding general questions, time spent with critically ill patients, and following up on urine cultures. The time saved by physicians could translate into more patients seen per shift.

Effectiveness of clinical pathway for upper respiratory tract infections in emergency department

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to demonstrate the benefits of implementing a clinical pathway to decrease the inappropriate use of antibiotics in upper respiratory tract infections (URTI) in an emergency department (ED).

METHODS

The study was performed in a hospital with 300 beds. All patients who applied with URTI from 1st to 30th of April 2017 were included and the appropriateness of the antibiotics were compared with the patients in the same period in 2016. A checklist for the clinical pathway of URTI was completed by the ED physicians.

RESULTS

351 patients were included, 176 these patients were in pre-ASP period and 175 patients were in post-ASP period. The rate of prescriptions including antibiotics was 49% in pre-ASP period and has decreased to 29% in post-ASP period (p < 0.001). Adherence to clinical pathway has increased from 50% to 80% (p < 0.001). In the post-ASP period, clinical pathway was used in 133 out of 175 patients (76%) and the consequently rate of appropriate antibiotic use was 82%.

CONCLUSION

The implementation of clinical pathway for URTI has decreased inappropriate antibiotic use in ED. As the secondary effect, using clinical pathway in ED also has increased the awareness of ED physicians who did not adhere to clinical pathway.

Optimization of antibiotic selection in the emergency department for urine culture follow ups, a retrospective pre-post intervention study: clinical pharmacist efforts

Introduction

Urinary tract infections (UTI) are commonly encountered in the emergency department (ED). ED culture follow up is an important tool to provide the appropriate therapy after the identification of the causative pathogen. There is a growing body of evidence for the positive role of pharmacists in following up the ED cultures. The purpose of this study was to compare pharmacist driven urine culture follow ups to the nurse-practitioner (NP) driven follow ups in term of the appropriateness of antibiotic selections in patients with resistant isolates, inappropriately treated asymptomatic bacteriuria, and inappropriately chosen antibiotic.

Methodology

This was a retrospective pre-post intervention study divided into a two group period to compare pharmacist to NP led ED culture follow up interventions. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 was used for analysis. Student's t-test was used for continuous variables and Chi-square test/or fisher's-exact test when appropriate were used for the primary outcome.

Results

Fifty-five patients (25.7%) and 102 (34%) met the inclusion criteria in the pharmacist arm and in the NP arm, respectively. Escherichia coli was the most commonly isolated pathogen in both arms. Asymptomatic bacteriuria was often treated in the ED in both groups (45/157, 28.7%) and there were no efforts in discontinuation of antibiotics in these patients. Neither the interventions group nor the no interventions groups were statistically different between the pharmacist and NP arms (P 0.0778), (P 0.797), respectively.

Conclusion

No statistically significant difference was observed between pharmacist driven monitoring and NP driven monitoring. In our institution, asymptomatic bacteriuria was commonly treated even in the absence of indications. We recommend that Pharmacists' roles in the ED cultures follow up be expanded to include antibiotic discontinuation in patients who meet asymptomatic bacteriuria criteria or have confirmed negative urine culture.

Scoping Review of Interventions Associated with Cost Avoidance Able to Be Performed in the Intensive Care Unit and Emergency Department

A framework for evaluating pharmacists' impact on cost avoidance in the intensive care unit (ICU) and emergency department (ED) has not been established. This scoping review was registered (CRD42018091217) and conducted to identify, aggregate, and qualitatively describe the highest quality evidence for cost avoidance generated by clinical pharmacists on interventions performed in an ICU or ED. Searches were conducted in PubMed, Scopus, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews from inception until April 2018. The level of evidence (LOE) for each specific category of intervention was evaluated according to the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation evidence-to-decision framework. The risks of bias for articles were evaluated using Newcastle Ottawa and Cochrane Collaboration tools. The values from all interventions were inflated to 2018 U.S. dollars using the consumer price index for medical care. Of the 464 articles initially identified, 371 were excluded and 93 were included. After reviewing references from the articles included, an additional 71 articles were also reviewed. The 38 cost intervention categories were supported by varying LOEs: IA (0 categories), IB (1 category), IIA (4 categories), IIB (0 categories), III (27 categories), and IV (6 categories), and articles mostly displayed low to moderate risks of bias. Pharmacists generate cost avoidance through a variety of interventions in critically and emergently ill patients. The quality of evidence supporting specific cost avoidance values is generally low. Quantification of and factors associated with the cost avoidance generated from pharmacists caring for these patients are of paramount importance.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Clinical Pharmacists' Consultation in the Treatment of Infectious Diseases: A Single-Arm, Prospective Cohort Study

Background: With the implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, clinical pharmacists’ consultation (CPC) for infectious diseases (ID) is gradually adopted by many hospitals in China. We conducted a cohort study to evaluate the effectiveness of CPC in ID treatment on patient outcomes and potential determinants.

Methods: Based on a registry database, a prospective cohort study was conducted in Guizhou Provincial People’s Hospital. The main exposure factor was whether clinician adopted the suggestion from clinical pharmacist. The outcome was effective response rate (ERR) of ID patients. The variables associated with the outcome (e.g., age, gender, severity of infection, liver function, and kidney function) were also prospectively recorded. A multilevel model was performed to analyze the factors related to ERR.

Results: A total of 733 ID inpatients were included in the final analysis according to the predesigned inclusion and exclusion criteria. The proportion of clinical pharmacists’ suggestions adopted by clinicians and ERR were 88.13 and 69.03%, respectively. Significant data aggregation (P < 0.05) for individuals at the level of department was observed. According to the two-level variance component model, liver dysfunction (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 0.649, 95%Credible Interval (CI): 0.432–0.976), severity of infection (AOR = 0.602, 95%CI: 0.464–0.781), and adopting the suggestion from pharmacist (AOR = 1.738, 95%CI: 1.028–2.940) had significant association with ERR.

Conclusion: Our study suggests that the effect of CPC on ID treatment is significant. The policy/decision makers or hospital managers should be cognizant of the critical value of clinical pharmacists in ID treatment.

Pharmacy-based management of influenza: lessons learned from research

Recently, several jurisdictions have pursued legislative and regulatory changes to allow pharmacy-based influenza management models in which pharmacists can initiate appropriate antiviral therapy in community pharmacy settings. While studies have been published in Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Norway and the United States, concerns have been expressed over pharmacist training, the accuracy of rapid influenza diagnostic tests, and the potential impact on antimicrobial resistance, among others. Studies have demonstrated that pharmacists provide safe and effective influenza management, with high rates of patient satisfaction, while maintaining or improving antimicrobial stewardship.

Disease-based antimicrobial stewardship: a review of active and passive approaches to patient management

Although new antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) often begin by targeting the reduction of antimicrobial use, an increasing focus of ASPs is to improve the management of specific infectious diseases. Disease-based antimicrobial stewardship emphasizes improving patient outcomes by optimizing antimicrobial use and increasing compliance with performance measures. Directing efforts towards the comprehensive management of specific infections allows ASPs to promote the shift in healthcare towards improving quality, safety and patient outcome metrics for specific diseases. This review evaluates published active and passive disease-based antimicrobial stewardship interventions and their impact on antimicrobial use and associated patient outcomes for patients with pneumonia, acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, bloodstream infections, urinary tract infections, asymptomatic bacteriuria, Clostridium difficile infection and intra-abdominal infections. Current literature suggests that disease-based antimicrobial stewardship effects on medical management and patient outcomes vary based on infectious disease syndrome, resource availability and intervention type.

Common Models Used for Inpatient Diabetes Management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Diabetes affects about a third of all hospitalized patients and up to 50% of inpatients go on to experience hyperglycemia. Despite strong evidence supporting the importance of adequate glycemic control, as well detailed guidelines from major national organizations, many patients continue to have hypo- and hyperglycemia during their hospital stay. While this may be partially related to provider and patient-specific factors, system-based barriers continue to pose a major obstacle. Therefore, there is a need to go beyond merely discussing specific insulin protocols and provide guidance for effective models of care in the acute glycemic management of hospitalized patients.

RECENT FINDINGS

To date, there is limited data evaluating the various models of care for inpatient diabetes management in terms of efficacy or cost, and there is no summary on this topic guiding physicians and hospital administrators. In this paper, four common models of inpatient diabetes care will be presented including those models led by the following: an endocrinologist(s), mid-level provider(s), pharmacist(s), and a virtual glucose management team. The authors will outline the intrinsic benefits as well as limitations of each model of care as well as cite supporting evidence, when available. Discussion pertaining to how a given model of care shapes and formulates a particular organization's structured glucose management program (GMP) will be examined. Furthermore, the authors describe how the model of care chosen by an institution serves as the foundation for the creation of a GMP. Finally, the authors examine the critical factors needed for GMP success within an institution and outline the nature of hospital administrative support and accompanying reporting structure, the function of a multidisciplinary diabetes steering committee, and the role of the medical director.

Impact of order set design on urine culturing practices at an academic medical centre emergency department

BACKGROUND

Urinalysis and urine culture are commonly ordered tests in the emergency department (ED). We evaluated the impact of removal of order sets from the 'frequently ordered test' in the computerised physician order entry system (CPOE) on urine testing practices.

METHODS

We conducted a before (1 September to 20 October 2015) and after (21 October to 30 November 2015) study of ED patients. The intervention consisted of retaining 'urinalysis with reflex to microscopy' as the only urine test in a highly accessible list of frequently ordered tests in the CPOE system. All other urine tests required use of additional order screens via additional mouse clicks. The frequency of urine testing before and after the intervention was compared, adjusting for temporal trends.

RESULTS

During the study period, 6499 (28.2%) of 22 948 ED patients had ≥1 urine test ordered. Urine testing rates for all ED patients decreased in the post intervention period for urinalysis (291.5 pre intervention vs 278.4 per 1000 ED visits post intervention, P=0.03), urine microscopy (196.5vs179.5, P=0.001) and urine culture (54.3vs29.7, P<0.001). When adjusted for temporal trends, the daily culture rate per 1000 ED visits decreased by 46.6% (-46.6%, 95% CI -66.2% to -15.6%), but urinalysis (0.4%, 95% CI -30.1 to 44.4%), microscopy (-6.5%, 95% CI -36.0% to 36.6%) and catheterised urine culture rates (17.9%, 95% CI -16.9 to 67.4) were unchanged.

CONCLUSIONS

A simple intervention of retaining only 'urinalysis with reflex to microscopy' and removing all other urine tests from the 'frequently ordered' window of the ED electronic order set decreased urine cultures ordered by 46.6% after accounting for temporal trends. Given the injudicious use of antimicrobial therapy for asymptomatic bacteriuria, findings from our study suggest that proper design of electronic order sets plays a vital role in reducing excessive ordering of urine cultures.

Assessments of Opportunities to Improve Antibiotic Prescribing in an Emergency Department: A Period Prevalence Survey

Introduction

Approximately 30% of all outpatient antimicrobials are inappropriately prescribed. Currently, antimicrobial prescribing patterns in emergency departments (ED) are not well described. Determining inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing patterns and opportunities for interventions by antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) are needed.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was performed among a random sample of non-admitted, adult patients who received an antimicrobial prescription in the ED from January 1 to December 31, 2015. Appropriateness was measured using the Medication Appropriateness Index, and was based on provider adherence to local guidelines. Additional information collected included patient characteristics, initial diagnoses, and other chronic medication use.

Results

Of 1579 ED antibiotic prescriptions in 2015, we reviewed a total of 159 (10.1%) prescription records. The most frequently prescribed antimicrobial classes included penicillins (22.6%), macrolides (20.8%), cephalosporins (17.6%), and fluoroquinolones (17.0%). The most common indications for antibiotics were bronchitis or upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) (35.1%), followed by skin and soft tissue infection (SSTI) (25.0%), both of which were the most common reason for unnecessary prescribing (28.9% of bronchitis/URTIs, 25.6% of SSTIs). Of the antimicrobial prescriptions reviewed, 39% met criteria for inappropriateness. Among 78 prescriptions with a consensus on appropriate indications, 13.8% had inappropriate dosing, duration, or expense.

Conclusion

Consistent with national outpatient prescribing, inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in the ED occurred in 39% of cases with the highest rates observed among patients with bronchitis, URTI, and SSTI. Antimicrobial stewardship programs may benefit by focusing on initiatives for these conditions among ED patients. Moreover, creation of local guideline pocketbooks for these and other conditions may serve to improve prescribing practices and meet the Core Elements of Outpatient Stewardship recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Evaluation of Bacteriuria Treatment and Follow-up Initiated in the Emergency Department at a Veterans Affairs Hospital

Background: This study aims to evaluate the treatment and follow-up of bacteriuria in the emergency department (ED). Objective: The primary objective was to determine the frequency of patients discharged from the ED with antibiotics for symptomatic and asymptomatic bacteriuria, and the secondary objectives were to determine the frequency of patients receiving postdischarge antibiotic interventions and antibiotic-related adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Methods: This retrospective study evaluated patients with ED urine cultures sent between October 1, 2015, and November 24, 2015. Patients with indwelling catheters, concurrent antibiotics, and admission for inpatient care were excluded. T tests and contingency tables were applied in SAS; P < .05 was considered significant. Results: Of 429 unique patients with urine cultures drawn in the ED, 13.1% (n = 56) received treatment for a bacteriuria. The majority of patients discharged from the ED with antibiotics had urinary tract infection (UTI) symptoms documented in the medical record (76.8%; n = 43). Of those patients who required postdischarge interventions, 4 out of 13 had appropriate antibiotic adjustments based on culture and sensitivity results at follow-up. In a subset of patients with inappropriately ordered urine cultures (no UTI symptoms documented or antibiotic prescribed), a higher percentage of patients had normal urinalyses (UA) compared to abnormal UAs (83.3% vs 10.4%, P = .0008). No significant ADRs were identified. Conclusions: The majority of patients treated for bacteriuria in the ED had documented symptoms consistent with UTIs and appropriate empiric antibiotics. However, incorporating antimicrobial stewardship activities in the ED targeting unnecessary urine cultures and assuring postdischarge follow-up if treatment modification is needed based on culture results can improve antibiotic prescribing.