Prevention of gram-positive infections in peritoneal dialysis patients in Hong Kong: a cost-effectiveness analysis

Clinical practice guideline for the prevention and management of peritoneal dialysis associated infections in children: 2024 update

Infection-related complications remain the most significant cause for morbidity and technique failure in infants, children and adolescents who receive maintenance peritoneal dialysis (PD). The 2024 update of the Clinical Practice Guideline for the Prevention and Management of Peritoneal Dialysis Associated Infection in Children builds upon previous such guidelines published in 2000 and 2012 and provides comprehensive treatment guidance as recommended by an international group of pediatric PD experts based upon a review of published literature and pediatric PD registry data. The workgroup prioritized updating key clinical issues contained in the 2012 guidelines, in addition to addressing additional questions developed using the PICO format. A variety of new guideline statements, highlighted by those pertaining to antibiotic therapy of peritonitis as a result of the evolution of antibiotic susceptibilities, antibiotic stewardship and clinical registry data, as well as new clinical benchmarks, are included. Recommendations for future research designed to fill important knowledge gaps are also provided.

Análisis de las infecciones del orificio de salida del catéter peritoneal. Efectividad de un protocolo basado en la aplicación de mupirocina tópica diaria

Objetivos: Analizar las infecciones del orificio de salida del catéter peritoneal, identificando los principales factores relacionados con las mismas; asimismo se ha comparado la efectividad de un protocolo basado en la utilización diaria de mupirocina tópica en la cura del orificio de salida frente a la utilización suero salino. Material y Método: Estudio observacional, retrospectivo. Recogimos variables demográficas, clínicas, la etiología y evolución de los episodios de infección del orificio en un periodo de 2 años. Utilizamos un protocolo de profilaxis con suero fisiológico y con mupirocina crema al 2%. Resultados: Estudiamos 75 pacientes, edad media 60,3±13,9 años, 66,7% varones, mediana de tiempo en diálisis peritoneal 24,3 meses (rango intercuartílico 11-48,7). La incidencia de infección del orificio de salida fue del 26,7%, el 77% fueron originadas por microorganismos de piel y mucosas. La infección del orificio de salida se relacionó con el estado portador nasal de Staphylococcus aureus (p=0,048) y la extrusión del dacron externo (p=0,004). De los 4 pacientes que presentaron una peritonitis secundaria a la infección del orificio de salida, 3 fueron trasferidos a hemodiálisis (p=0,025). Con el protocolo de antibioterapia tópica diaria se redujo un 68% la tasa de infecciones. Conclusiones: La exteriorización del anillo externo del catéter peritoneal es un factor predisponente de infecciones. La aplicación diaria de mupirocina es una estrategia efectiva para reducir la incidencia de infección del orificio y peritonitis. La erradicación de portadores nasales de Staphylococcus aureus puede contribuir a reducir la pérdida del catéter y la transferencia a hemodiálisis.

Peritoneal Dialysis-Associated Peritonitis

Peritonitis is a common and severe complication in peritoneal dialysis (PD). Detailed recommendations on the prevention and treatment of PD-associated peritonitis have been published by the International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD), but there is a substantial variation in clinical practice among dialysis units. Prophylactic antibiotics administered before PD catheter insertion, colonoscopy, or invasive gynecologic procedures, daily topical application of antibiotic cream or ointment to the catheter exit site, and prompt treatment of exit site or catheter infection are key measures to prevent PD-associated peritonitis. When a patient on PD presents with clinical features compatible with PD-associated peritonitis, empirical antibiotic therapy, with coverage of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative organisms (including Pseudomonas species), should be started once the appropriate microbiologic specimens have been obtained. Intraperitoneal is the preferred route of administration. Antifungal prophylaxis, preferably oral nystatin, should be added to prevent secondary fungal peritonitis. Once the PD effluent Gram stain or culture and sensitivity results are available, antibiotic therapy can be adjusted accordingly. A detailed description on the dosage of individual antibiotic can be found in the latest recommendations by the ISPD. The duration of antibiotics is usually 2-3 weeks, depending on the specific organisms identified. Catheter removal and temporary hemodialysis support is recommended for refractory, relapsing, or fungal peritonitis. In some patients, a new PD catheter could be inserted after complete resolution of the peritonitis. PD catheter removal should also be considered for refractory exit site or tunnel infections. After the improvement in clinical practice, there is a worldwide trend of reduction in PD-associated peritonitis rate, supporting the use of PD as a first-line dialysis modality.

Surveillance-guided selective digestive decontamination of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in the intensive care unit: A cost-effectiveness analysis

BACKGROUND

Clinical findings have shown effectiveness and safety of selective digestive decontamination (SDD) for eradication of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in high-risk carriers. We aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of SDD guided by CRE surveillance in the intensive care unit (ICU).

METHODS

Outcomes of surveillance-guided SDD (test-guided SDD) and no screening (control) in the ICU were compared by Markov model simulations. Model outcomes were CRE infection and mortality rates, direct costs, and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) loss. Model inputs were estimated from clinical literature. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to examine the robustness of base case results.

RESULTS

Test-guided SDD reduced infection (4.8% vs 5.0%) and mortality (1.8% vs 2.1%) rates at a higher cost ($1,102 vs $1,074) than the control group in base case analysis, respectively. Incremental cost per QALY saved (incremental cost-effectiveness ratio [ICER]) by the test-guided SDD group was $557 per QALY. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that test-guided SDD was effective in saving QALYs in 100% of 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations, and cost-saving 59.1% of time. The remaining 40.9% of simulations found SDD to be effective at an additional cost, with ICERs accepted as cost-effective per the willingness-to-pay threshold.

CONCLUSIONS

Surveillance-guided SDD appears to be cost-effective in reducing CRE infection and mortality with QALYs saved.

Peritoneal dialysis-related infections recommendations: 2016 update. What is new?

In 2016, the International Society of Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) published guidelines that focus on the importance of both prevention and treatment of peritonitis. For once more, the need for annual reporting of peritonitis rates and recording of peritonitis and exit-site infections, isolated microorganism and antimicrobial susceptibilities as a central component of a quality improvement program is highlighted. Data on new antibiotic regimens, techniques for microorganism isolation and peritoneal dialysis solutions are included. Training of both peritoneal dialysis nurses and patients seems to be crucial, while the modifiable risk factors for peritonitis seem to be of great interest. In this article, we record the changes in the last ISPD (2016) guidelines compared to the previous ones published in 2010.

Potential economic burden of carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) in the United States

OBJECTIVES

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) an urgent public health threat; however, its economic burden is unknown.

METHODS

We developed a CRE clinical and economics outcomes model to determine the cost of CRE infection from the hospital, third-party payer, and societal, perspectives and to evaluate the health and economic burden of CRE to the USA.

RESULTS

Depending on the infection type, the median cost of a single CRE infection can range from $22 484 to $66 031 for hospitals, $10 440 to $31 621 for third-party payers, and $37 778 to $83 512 for society. An infection incidence of 2.93 per 100 000 population in the USA (9418 infections) would cost hospitals $275 million (95% CR $217-334 million), third-party payers $147 million (95% CR $129-172 million), and society $553 million (95% CR $303-1593 million) with a 25% attributable mortality, and would result in the loss of 8841 (95% CR 5805-12 420) quality-adjusted life years. An incidence of 15 per 100 000 (48 213 infections) would cost hospitals $1.4 billion (95% CR $1.1-1.7 billion), third-party payers $0.8 billion (95% CR $0.6-0.8 billion), and society $2.8 billion (95% CR $1.6-8.2 billion), and result in the loss of 45 261 quality-adjusted life years.

CONCLUSIONS

The cost of CRE is higher than the annual cost of many chronic diseases and of many acute diseases. Costs rise proportionally with the incidence of CRE, increasing by 2.0 times, 3.4 times, and 5.1 times for incidence rates of 6, 10, and 15 per 100 000 persons.

Health economic evaluations of medical devices in the People's Republic of China: A systematic literature review

Background

The objective of this study is to identify and review the methodological quality of health economic evaluations of medical devices performed in the People’s Republic of China. To our knowledge, no such investigations have been performed to date.

Methods

A systematic literature review involving searches of Medline, Medline In-Process, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, the Cost-Effectiveness Analysis Registry of the Tufts Medical Center, and the Wanfang Database was performed. The search spanned the period from 1990 to 2013. Studies on health economic evaluations of medical devices, in-vitro diagnostics, procedures, and the use of medical devices in Chinese health care settings were included. Full-text articles and conference abstracts in English and Chinese were included.

Results

Fifty-seven publications were included, 26 (46%) of which were in English and 31 (54%) of which were in Chinese. The included publications covered a wide range of clinical areas, such as surgery (n=23, 40%), screening (n=9, 16%), imaging use (n=6, 11%), kidney intervention (n=4, 7%), and nine other technological areas. Most of the studies (n=31, 54%) were cost analyses. Among the others, 13 (50%) studies used modeling, and another 13 (50%) were within-trial evaluations. Among studies that used modeling, eleven (85%) conducted sensitivity analyses, six of which had one-way sensitivity analysis, whereas one conducted both one-way and two-way sensitivity analyses; four of these eleven modeling-based analyses included probabilistic sensitivity analyses. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was reported in ten (18%) studies, eight of which were screening studies. The remaining two modeling studies were in areas of imaging and oncology.

Conclusion

This study indicates that there are major limitations and deficiencies in the health economic evaluations on medical devices performed in the People’s Republic of China. Further efforts are required from different stakeholders – academic, governmental, and privatized – to improve health economic research capacity and to put it to use when informative decisions are made in the health care setting.