Principles and strategies of antimicrobial stewardship in the neonatal intensive care unit

Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Antibiotic stewardship is a multidisciplinary, evidence-based approach to optimize antibiotic use and mitigate development of antibiotic resistance. Neonates have high rates of antibiotic exposure, particularly those born preterm and admitted to the NICU, and mounting evidence describes the adverse consequences of such exposures in the absence of infection. Here, we review the general principles of antibiotic stewardship and how they can be applied in NICUs. The unique characteristics of NICUs and patients cared for in this setting, which warrant unique implementation strategies and special considerations are discussed. We summarize current antibiotic use metrics for assessment of responses to stewardship interventions and changes over time, and review evidence-based infection prevention practices in the NICU. Current recommendations for empiric antibiotic use in the NICU and the utility of infection biomarkers are summarized. Lastly, given the growing global threat of increasing antibiotic resistance, specific threats in the NICU are highlighted.

Point prevalence surveys of antibiotic prescribing in children at a tertiary hospital in a resource constraint, low-income sub-Saharan African country-the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program

BACKGROUND

Resistance to multiple antibiotics by several pathogens has been widely described in children and has become a global health emergency. This is due to increased use by parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers. This study aims to describe the prevalence rates of antibiotic prescribing, ascertain the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs, and target improving the quality of antibiotic prescribing in the paediatric population over time in a hospital.

METHOD

A point prevalence survey of antibiotic use was performed yearly for 4 years to monitor trends in antibiotic prescribing. Data from all patients admitted before 8 a.m. on the day of the PPS were included. A web-based application designed by the University of Antwerp was used for data entry, validation, and analysis ( http://www.global-pps.com ).

RESULTS

A total of 260 children, including 90 (34.6%) neonates and 170 (65.4%) older children, were admitted during the four surveys. Overall, 179 (68.8%) patients received at least one antibiotic. In neonates, the prevalence of antibiotic use increased from 78.9 to 89.5% but decreased from 100 to 58.8% in older children. There was a reduction in the use of antibiotics for prophylaxis from 45.7 to 24.6%. The most frequently prescribed antibiotic groups were third generation cephalosporins and aminoglycosides. The most common indications for antibiotic prescription were sepsis in neonates and central nervous system infection in older children. The documentation of reason in notes increased from 33 to 100%, while the stop-review date also increased from 19.4 to 70%.

CONCLUSION

The indicators for appropriate antibiotic prescription improved over time with the introduction of antibiotic stewardship program in the department.

Antimicrobial Stewardship: A Correct Management to Reduce Sepsis in NICU Settings

The discovery of antimicrobial drugs has led to a significant increase in survival from infections; however, they are very often prescribed and administered, even when their use is not necessary and appropriate. Newborns are particularly exposed to infections due to the poor effectiveness and the immaturity of their immune systems. For this reason, in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs), the use of antimicrobial drugs is often decisive and life-saving, and it must be started promptly to ensure its effectiveness in consideration of the possible rapid evolution of the infection towards sepsis. Nevertheless, the misuse of antibiotics in the neonatal period leads not only to an increase in the development and wide spreading of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) but it is also associated with various short-term (e.g., alterations of the microbiota) and long-term (e.g., increased risk of allergic disease and obesity) effects. It appears fundamental to use antibiotics only when strictly necessary; specific decision-making algorithms and electronic calculators can help limit the use of unnecessary antibiotic drugs. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the right balance between the risks and benefits of antimicrobial therapy in NICUs; for this purpose, specific Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) in neonatal care and the creation of a specific antimicrobial stewardship team are requested.

Nosocomial Infections in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Nosocomial infections are relatively common in the NICU. These infections increase morbidity and mortality, particularly in the smallest and most fragile infants. The impact of these infections on long-term outcomes and health-care costs is devastating. Worldwide efforts to decrease the incidence of nosocomial infections have focused on implementing specific prevention protocols such as handwashing, central line teams, care bundles, and antimicrobial stewardship. This review summarizes common nosocomial infections in patients in the NICU.

Changes in perceptions of antibiotic stewardship among neonatal intensive care unit providers over the course of a learning collaborative: a prospective, multisite, mixed-methods evaluation

OBJECTIVE

To assess clinician perceptions towards the value and implementation of antibiotic stewardship (AS) in neonatal intensive care units (NICU).

STUDY DESIGN

We performed a mixed-methods study of AS perceptions (prescribing appropriateness, importance, activity, capacity) using surveys and interviews in 30 California NICUs before and after a multicenter collaborative (Optimizing Antibiotic Use in California NICUs [OASCN]).

RESULTS

Pre-OASCN, 24% of respondents felt there was "a lot of" or "some" inappropriate prescribing, often driven by fear of a bad outcome or reluctance to change existing practice. Clinicians reported statistically significant increases in AS importance (71 v 79%), perceived AS activity (67 v 87%), and more openness to change after OASCN (59 v 70%). We identified other concerns that lessen AS effort.

CONCLUSION

OASCN increased perceived AS activity and openness to change in AS practices among NICU prescribers. Greater attention to subjective concerns should augment AS improvement.

Antimicrobial stewardship in the intensive care unit

High resistance rates to antimicrobials continue to be a global health threat. The incidence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) microorganisms in intensive care units (ICUs) is quite high compared to in the community and other units in the hospital because ICU patients are generally older, have higher numbers of co-morbidities and immune-suppressed; moreover, the typically high rates of invasive procedures performed in the ICU increase the risk of infection by MDR microorganisms. Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) refers to the implementation of coordinated interventions to improve and track the appropriate use of antibiotics while offering the best possible antibiotic prescription (according to dose, duration, and route of administration). Broad-spectrum antibiotics are frequently preferred in ICUs because of greater infection severity and colonization and infection by MDR microorganisms. For this reason, a number of studies on AMS in ICUs have increased in recent years. Reducing the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics forms the basis of AMS. For this purpose, parameters such as establishing an AMS team, limiting the use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, terminating treatments early, using early warning systems, pursuing infection control, and providing education and feedback are used. In this review, current AMS practices in ICUs are discussed.

Evaluation of antimicrobial consumption in the neonatal population undergoing to stewardship programs: A systematic review Antimicrobial consumption in neonatal population

BACKGROUND

The indiscriminate antimicrobials use in neonatal sepsis treatment contributes to abusive consumption and optimize prescription programs are encouraged as way to reduce the inappropriate use. Thus, the objective was to evaluate the impact of intervention programs for adequate antimicrobial use (Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs - ASP) in consumption measurements of such drugs in neonatology.

METHODS

The search for articles was performed in electronic databases and manual search for citations in publications initially identified. Electronic databases searched were BVS, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE/PubMed, SciELO, Scopus and Web of Science. There was no date or period limit for including of articles. The PICO question was defined as populations of neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICU) (P) undergoing an intervention program to optimize antimicrobial therapy (I) in relation to neonates not exposed to the program (C) and the outcome obtained in antimicrobials consumption (O).

RESULTS

The initial search in databases resulted in 1223 articles. Articles were screened and sixteen original studies related to subject were selected, which conducted a quantitative approach to antimicrobials consumption for population of interest. Most articles used days of therapy (DOT) as the main measure of antimicrobial consumption and have had a high-quality rating by Newcastle Ottawa scale (NOS). All studies were carried out in local hospitals at a single-centre and most ones in high-income countries.

CONCLUSION

Of all studies resulting from search, few evaluated antimicrobial consumption in Neonatology. New studies are needed, and DOT proved to be the most adequate metric to measure consumption.

Fighting Antimicrobial Resistance in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: Rational Use of Antibiotics in Neonatal Sepsis

Antibiotics are the most frequently prescribed drugs in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) due to the severity of complications accompanying neonatal sepsis. However, antimicrobial drugs are often used inappropriately due to the difficulties in diagnosing sepsis in the neonatal population. The reckless use of antibiotics leads to the development of resistant strains, rendering multidrug-resistant pathogens a serious problem in NICUs and a global threat to public health. The aim of this narrative review is to provide a brief overview of neonatal sepsis and an update on the data regarding indications for antimicrobial therapy initiation, current guidance in the empirical antimicrobial selection and duration of therapy, and indications for early discontinuation.

Effectiveness of a neonatal intensive care unit-specific antimicrobial stewardship program: A ten-year review

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the change in consumption of specific antibiotics in a neonatal intensive care unit after the implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study between January 1, 2010, and December 31,2019.

SETTING

The neonatal intensive care unit at British Columbia Women's Hospital (Vancouver Canada), a tertiary-care center.

PATIENTS

Admitted neonates prescribed antibiotics.

METHODS

We implemented an ASP with an early implementation phase starting in January 2014 (period 2) and a later phase starting in January 2017 (period 3). Patient demographics were collected, including birth weight, gestational age, history of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), and surgical operations from existing databases. Interrupted time-series analysis was used, and comparison of antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) averages were conducted across the preimplementation period (period 1), period 2, and period 3 regarding total patients and subgroups.

RESULTS

We identified 4,512 infants. There was a significant decrease in DOT from 472 (95% confidence interval [CI], 431-517) in period 1 to 405 (95% CI, 367-446) in period 2 to 313 (95% CI, 280-350) in period 3. We detected a significant decrease in the use of ampicillin, aminoglycosides, cloxacillin, and linezolid but not in vancomycin or cefotaxime. Subgroup analyses of infants <1,500 g and those without NEC or surgery showed decreases in the use of cloxacillin, aminoglycosides, and linezolid.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of an ASP was associated with a significant decrease in the overall DOT and use of certain antibiotics. This study presents important targets for ongoing ASP work.

Antimicrobial Prophylaxis Use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: An Antimicrobial Stewardship Target That Deserves Attention!

OBJECTIVE

Previous analyses of neonatal intensive care units (NICU) antimicrobial stewardship programs have identified key contributors to overall antibiotic use, including prolonged empiric therapy >48 hours for early-onset sepsis (EOS). However, most were performed in mixed NICU settings with onsite birthing units, resulting in a high proportion of inborn patient admissions. The study aimed to describe and analyze the most common reasons for antimicrobial use in an outborn tertiary care NICU.

STUDY DESIGN

This was a 10-month review of all antimicrobial doses prescribed in a 20-bed level III NICU. The primary outcome was the total days of therapy (DOT) and length of therapy (LOT) for each clinical indication. Secondary outcomes included total DOT for each antimicrobial and appropriateness of antimicrobial courses.

RESULTS

Of 235 antibiotic courses and 1,899 DOT (519 DOT/1,000 patient days) prescribed in 173 infants during the study period, the most common indications were suspected EOS, followed by prophylaxis. Among the 85 DOT/1,000 patient days (PD; 38 courses) prescribed for prophylaxis, 52.5 DOT/1,000 PD (25 courses; 62%) were for surgical prophylaxis. Of 17 postoperative antibiotic courses, 15 (88.2%) were deemed to be inappropriate mostly due to a duration greater than 24 hours postoperatively (n = 13; median LOT = 3 days).

CONCLUSION

Surgical prophylaxis is a common reason for antimicrobial misuse in outborn NICU. NICU-based prospective audit and feedback between neonatologists and antimicrobial stewardship teams alone may not be impactful in this setting. Partnerships with neonatologists and surgeons will be key to achieving the target of less than 24 hours of postoperative antimicrobials.

KEY POINTS

· Surgical prophylaxis is a common reason for antimicrobial misuse in the NICU.. · Antimicrobial prophylaxis duration of less than 24 hours postoperatively should be encouraged.. · NICU-based prospective audit and feedback may not be impactful unless surgeons are involved..

Epidemiological and genetic characteristics of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolates in a University Children's Hospital in Germany: 2019 to 2020

BACKGROUND

Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREfm) strains are one of the most important pathogens causing nosocomial infections in Germany. Due to limited treatment options and an increased risk for acquisition in immunocompromised children, surveillance to monitor occurrence of VREfm in paediatric clinical facilities is of critical importance. Following an unusual accumulation of VREfm positive patients between April 2019 and August 2020 at Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital in Munich, Germany, our study aimed to identify dynamics and routes of transmission, and analyse the affected population in view of previously described host risk factors for VREfm colonisation or infection.

METHODS

The hospital database was used to collect epidemiological and clinical data of VREfm cases. Descriptive statistical analyses were conducted to outline patient characteristics and depict possible differences between VREfm-colonised and -infected children. An outbreak investigation determining genetic relatedness among VREfm isolates was performed by core genome multilocus sequence typing (cgMLST). To examine potential transmission pathways, results of genome analysis were compared with epidemiological and clinical data of VREfm positive patients.

RESULTS

VREfm acquisition was documented in a total of 33 children (< 18 years). Seven VREfm-colonised patients (21.2%), especially those with a haemato-oncological disease (4/7; p = 0.011), showed signs of clinical infection. cgMLST analysis revealed seven distinct clusters, demonstrating a possible connection within each clonal lineage. Additional eight singletons were identified. Comparison with epidemiological and clinical data provided strong evidence for a link between several VREfm positive patients within the hospital.

CONCLUSIONS

A nosocomial spread-at least in part-was the most likely reason for the unusual accumulation of VREfm cases. The study highlights that there is a constant need to increase efforts in hygiene measures, infection control and antibiotic stewardship to combat VREfm transmission events within German paediatric hospitals. Continuous monitoring of adherence to respective policies might reduce the occurrence of clustered cases and prevent future outbreaks.

OUP accepted manuscript

Background

Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes in hospitals support optimal antimicrobial use by utilizing strategies such as restriction policies and education. Several systematic reviews on digital interventions supporting AMS have been conducted but they have focused on specific interventions and outcomes.

Objectives

To provide a systematic overview and synthesis of evidence on the effectiveness of digital interventions to improve antimicrobial prescribing and monitoring in hospitals.

Methods

Multiple databases were searched from 2010 onwards. Review papers were eligible if they included studies that examined the effectiveness of AMS digital interventions in an inpatient hospital setting. Papers were excluded if they were not systematic reviews, were limited to a paediatric setting, or were not in English.

Results

Eight systematic reviews were included for data extraction. A large number of digital interventions were evaluated, with a strong focus on clinical decision support. Due to the heterogeneity of the interventions and outcome measures, a meta-analysis could not be performed. The majority of reviews reported that digital interventions reduced antimicrobial use and improved antimicrobial appropriateness. The impact of digital interventions on clinical outcomes was inconsistent.

Conclusions

Digital interventions reduce antimicrobial use and improve antimicrobial appropriateness in hospitals, but no firm conclusions can be drawn about the degree to which different types of digital interventions achieve these outcomes. Evaluation of sociotechnical aspects of digital intervention implementation is limited, despite the critical role that user acceptance, uptake and feasibility play in ensuring improvements in AMS are achieved with digital health.

Variations in Antibiotic Use and Sepsis Management in Neonatal Intensive Care Units: A European Survey

Management of neonatal sepsis and the use of antimicrobials have an important impact on morbidity and mortality. However, there is no recent background on which antibiotic regimens are used in different European neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Our study aimed to describe the use of antibiotics and other aspects of early- and late-onset sepsis (EOS and LOS, respectively) management by European NICUs. We conducted an online survey among NICUs throughout Europe to collect information about antibiotic stewardship, antibiotic regimens, and general aspects of managing neonatal infections. NICUs from up to 38 European countries responded, with 271 valid responses. Most units had written clinical guidelines for EOS (92.2%) and LOS (81.1%) management. For EOS, ampicillin, penicillin, gentamicin, and amikacin were the most commonly used antibiotics. Analysis of the combinations of EOS regimens showed that the most frequently used was ampicillin plus gentamicin (54.6%). For LOS, the most frequently used antibiotics were vancomycin (52.4%), gentamicin (33.9%), cefotaxime (28%), and meropenem (15.5%). Other aspects of the general management of sepsis have also been analyzed. The management of neonatal sepsis in European NICUs is diverse. There was high self-reported adherence to the local clinical guidelines. There was homogeneity in the combination of antibiotics in EOS but less in LOS.

Antimicrobial use for treatment of healthcare-associated infections and bacterial resistance in a reference neonatal unit

OBJECTIVE

The use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, such as third and fourth-generation, are responsible for emergence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms in neonatal units. Furthermore, antimicrobial daily doses are not standardized in neonatology. This study aimed to investigate the association between the use of antimicrobial broad spectrum to bacterial sensitivity profile in a referral unit of neonatal progressive care.

METHODS

This is a cohort study conducted in a referral neonatal progressive care unit from January 2008 to December 2016. The data of all hospitalized neonates was collected daily. The infection criteria used were the standardized national criteria, based on definitions of Center for Diseases Control and Prevention. In this study, the use of antimicrobials was evaluated as antimicrobial-day (ATM-day) and the ratio of multidrug-resistant microorganisms per 1000 ATM-day of broad spectrum was also calculated. The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (ETIC 312/08 e CAAE 58973616.2.0000.5149).

RESULTS

From 2008 to 2016, 2751 neonates were hospitalized, corresponding to 60,656 patient-days. The ratio of multidrug-resistant microorganisms per 1000 ATM-day of broad spectrum was 1,3 in the first period and 4,3 in the second period (p=0,005).

CONCLUSION

It was observed that use of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, especially those with coverage for Gram-negative bacteria, was associated with an increase of multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Decreasing antibiotic over-use by implementation of an antibiotic stewardship programme in preterm neonates in resource limited settings - a quality improvement initiative

BACKGROUND

Antibiotics play a critical role in neonatal sepsis but excessive use is associated with adverse outcomes and the current prescribing rates of antibiotics are unacceptably high.

AIM

To reduce antibiotic over-use in preterm neonates by implementing an antibiotic stewardship programme using a quality improvement (QI) initiative.

METHODS

This study was conducted at a neonatal intensive care unit in a resource-limited setting. The reasons for antibiotic over-use were analysed and an antibiotic stewardship programme was implemented by using a QI initiative. The duration of the QI was a 1-month baseline phase followed by 3 months of implementation which was undertaken in the form of Plan-Do-Study-Act (P-D-S-A) cycles. The sustainment phase was observed for 2 months. All neonates admitted to the preterm unit were included. The outcome measure was the antibiotic usage expressed as days of therapy (DOT)/1000 patient days.

RESULTS

In the baseline phase, DOT/1000 patient days was 1464 which fell to 706, 511, and 442 DOT/1000 patient days, respectively, over 3 months, resulting in a 65% reduction in antibiotic usage. This was achieved by a combination of efforts directed towards defining the conditions for no antibiotics, revising existing antibiotic policy, stopping orders at 48 hours, de-escalation to the narrowest spectrum antibiotic, stopping prophylactic antifungal agents and limited use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. The results were achieved without an increase in culture-positive sepsis or mortality.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of a tailored antibiotic stewardship programme through a QI initiative was effective and safe in reducing antibiotic use in preterm neonates in a resource-limited setting.

ABBREVIATIONS

AIIMS, All India Institute of Medical Sciences; DOT, days of therapy; HIC, high-income countries; ICMR, Indian Council of Medical Research; LMIC, low- to middle-income countries; LOS, late-onset sepsis; NICU, neonatal intensive care unit; NNF, National Neonatology Forum; P-D-S-A, plan-do-study-act; QI, quality improvement; SNCU, Special newborn care unit.

Antibiotic Use in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates After an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

There is insufficient data regarding antimicrobial stewardship (AS) and outcomes of very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates after AS programs. This observational, retrospective study addressed AS and outcomes of VLBW neonates admitted to an Italian level-three center. Two periods were compared: (i) baseline, before AS (January 2011-December 2012) and (ii) intervention, after AS (January 2016-December 2017). Between these two periods, procedures were put in place to inform medical and nursing staff regarding AS. There were 111 and 119 VLBW neonates in the baseline (6744 live births) and in the intervention period (5902 live births), respectively. The number of infants exposed to antibiotics (70%) during the hospital stay did not change, but the total days of therapy (DOT, median 12 vs. 5) and DOT/1000 patient days (302 vs. 215) decreased in the intervention period (p < 0.01), as well as the median duration of first antibiotic treatment (144 vs. 48 h, p < 0.01). A re-analysis of single cases of culture-proven or culture-negative sepsis failed to demonstrate any association between deaths and a delay or insufficient antibiotic use in the intervention period. In conclusion, AS is feasible in preterm VLBW neonates and antibiotic use can be safely reduced.

Antibiotic Resistance Patterns of Bacterial Isolates from Neonatal Sepsis Patients at University Hospital of Leipzig, Germany

Neonatal sepsis caused by resistant bacteria is a worldwide concern due to the associated high mortality and increased hospitals costs. Bacterial pathogens causing neonatal sepsis and their antibiotic resistance patterns vary among hospital settings and at different points in time. This study aimed to determine the antibiotic resistance patterns of pathogens causing neonatal sepsis and to assess trends in antibiotic resistance. The study was conducted among neonates with culture proven sepsis at the University Hospital of Leipzig between November 2012 and September 2020. Blood culture was performed by BacT/ALERT 3D system. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done with broth microdilution method based on ISO 20776-1 guideline. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 20 software. From 134 isolates, 99 (74%) were gram positive bacteria. The most common gram positive and gram negative bacteria were S. epidermidis, 51 (38%) and E. coli, 23 (17%), respectively. S. epidermidis showed the highest resistance to penicillin G and roxithromycin (90% each) followed by cefotaxime, cefuroxime, imipenem, oxacillin, and piperacillin-tazobactam (88% each), ampicillin-sulbactam (87%), meropenem (86%), and gentamicin (59%). Moreover, S. epidermidis showed raising levels of resistance to amikacin, gentamicin, ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, moxifloxacin, and cotrimoxazol. Gram positive bacteria showed less or no resistance to daptomycin, linezolid, teicoplanin, and vancomycin. E. coli showed the highest resistance to ampicillin (74%) followed by ampicillin-sulbactam (52%) and piperacillin (48%). Furthermore, increasing levels in resistance to ampicillin, ampicillin-sulbactam, piperacillin, and cefuroxime were observed over the years. Encouragingly, E. coli showed significantly declining trends of resistance to ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, and no resistance to amikacin, colistin, fosfomycin, gentamicin, imipenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, and tobramycin. In conclusion, this study demonstrates that gram positive bacteria were the leading causes of neonatal sepsis. Bacterial isolates were highly resistant to first and second-line empiric antibiotics used in this hospital. The high levels of antibiotic resistance patterns highlight the need for modifying empiric treatment regimens considering the most effective antibiotics. Periodic surveillance in hospital settings to monitor changes in pathogens, and antibiotic resistance patterns is crucial in order to implement optimal prevention and treatment strategies.

Metrics of neonatal antibiotic use

Responsible use of antibiotics is critical to preserve their effectiveness and to minimize adverse outcomes associated with overuse and misuse. Newborn infants are a unique population with high rates of antibiotic exposure. In order to improve neonatal antibiotic use, accurate and meaningful metrics are required. In this review, we highlight and compare existing antibiotic use metrics in detail, including definitions, current applications, advantages, and limitations of each metric, with a focus on applicability to neonatal populations. We explore future directions for identification of accurate and meaningful metrics that will allow hospitals and stakeholders to pinpoint antibiotic utilization practices that should be emulated or avoided, and ultimately improve the safety and quality of neonatal care.

Antibiotic prescribing practices in three neonatology units in Kigali, Rwanda. - an observational study

INTRODUCTION

There is limited published data on antibiotic use in neonatal units in resource-poor settings.

OBJECTIVES

This study sought to describe antibiotic prescribing practices in three neonatology units in Kigali, Rwanda.

METHODS

A multi-center, cross-sectional study conducted in two tertiary and one urban district hospital in Kigali, Rwanda. Participants were neonates admitted in neonatology who received a course of antibiotics during their admission. Data collected included risk factors for neonatal sepsis, clinical signs, symptoms, investigations for neonatal sepsis, antibiotics prescribed, and the number of deaths in the included cohort.

RESULTS

126 neonates were enrolled with 42 from each site. Prematurity (38%) followed by membrane rupture more than 18 hours (25%) were the main risk factors for neonatal sepsis. Ampicillin and Gentamicin (85%) were the most commonly used first-line antibiotics for suspected neonatal sepsis. Most neonates (87%) did not receive a second-line antibiotic. Cefotaxime (11%), was the most commonly used second-line antibiotic. The median duration of antibiotic use was four days in all surviving neonates (m=113). In neonates with negative blood culture and normal C-reactive protein (CRP), the median duration of antibiotics was 3.5 days; and for neonates, with positive blood cultures, the median duration was 11 days. Thirteen infants died (10%) at all three sites, with no significant difference between the sites.

CONCLUSION

The median antibiotic duration for neonates with normal lab results exceeded the recommended duration mandated by the national neonatal protocol. We recommend the development of antibiotic stewardship programs in neonatal units in Rwanda to prevent the adverse effects which may be caused by inappropriate or excessive use of antibiotics.

Mortality in severely injured patients: nearly one of five non-survivors have been already discharged alive from ICU

BACKGROUND

Most trauma patients admitted to the hospital alive and die later on, decease during the initial care in the emergency department or the intensive care unit (ICU). However, a number of patients pass away after having been discharged from the ICU during the initial hospital stay. On first sight these cases could be seen as "failure to rescue" of potentially salvageable patients. A low rate of such patients might be a potential indicator of quality for trauma care on ICUs and surgical wards.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of the TraumaRegister DGU® with data from 2015 to 2017. Patients that died during the initial ICU stay were compared to those who were discharged from the initial ICU stay for at least 24 h but died later on.

RESULTS

A total of 82,313 trauma patients were included in the TraumaRegister DGU®. In total, 6576 patients (8.0%) died during their hospital stay. Out of those, 5481 were admitted to the ICU alive and 972 patients (17.7%) were discharged from ICU and died later on. Those were older (mean age: 77 vs. 68 years), less severely injured (mean ISS: 23.1 vs. 30.0 points) and had a longer mean ICU length of stay (10 vs. 6 days). A limitation of life-sustaining therapy due to a documented living will was present in 46.1% of all patients who died during their initial ICU stay and in 59.9% of patients who died after discharge from their initial ICU stay.

CONCLUSIONS

17.7% of all non-surviving severely injured trauma patients died within the hospital after discharge from their initial ICU treatment. Their death can partially be explained by a limitation of therapy due to a living will. In conclusion, the rate of such late deaths may partially represent patients that died of potentially avoidable or treatable complications.

Standardizing the approach to late onset sepsis in neonates through antimicrobial stewardship: a quality improvement initiative

BACKGROUND

Antibiotics are the most prescribed medication in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and there is marked variation in their use. While they are vital for treatment of infections, they put infants at risk for infections with drug resistant organisms, alteration in their microbiome and several other morbidities. Specific guidelines for neonates are often lacking and our NICU is not compliant with late onset sepsis (LOS) guidelines.

OBJECTIVE

By January 2019, there will be >75% compliance with our LOS bundle for any infant admitted to Tampa General Hospital's (TGH) NICU undergoing a LOS evaluation at >72 h of life. The bundle includes documented reason for LOS evaluation, appropriate initial antibiotic selection, appropriate initial evaluation considered, and appropriate de-escalation of antibiotics.

STUDY DESIGN

The project was implemented in the NICU at TGH, the academic medical center affiliated with the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. The multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) team responsible for the project consists of a neonatology attending, three neonatology fellows, a pediatric infectious disease attending, and two NICU pharmacists. The project was started in January 2017 and all data were collected prospectively. We implemented multiple Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles in a stepwise manner; outcome measures included compliance with the LOS bundle and ASP team recommendations. Our process measures were the documented reason for sepsis evaluation, appropriate initial evaluation considered, appropriate antibiotic selection and appropriate antibiotic de-escalation. Patient length of stay was the balancing measure studied.

RESULTS

During this 20-month initiative, there were 232 infants who underwent LOS evaluation and there were 98 true positive cultures from blood (28%), urine (35%), and cerebrospinal fluid (3%). Commonly documented rationales for treatment of culture negative sepsis were clinical pneumonia (38%) and necrotizing enterocolitis (38%). Common indications for LOS evaluations were increased respiratory support (51%) and abdominal distension (17%). There was improvement in appropriate initial antibiotic selection (70% vs. 94%); appropriate consideration of initial evaluation (63% vs. 94%, respectively); appropriate de-escalation of antibiotics (86% vs. 100%, respectively) and increase in LOS bundle compliance (44% vs. 87%, respectively). The overall antibiotic utilization rate and length of treatment did not change significantly.

CONCLUSIONS

Developing and engaging a NICU ASP team improves compliance with late onset sepsis guidelines through the implementation of a LOS bundle of care.

Each Additional Day of Antibiotics Is Associated With Lower Gut Anaerobes in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Patients

BACKGROUND

Discontinuation of inappropriate antimicrobial therapy is an important target for stewardship intervention. The drug and duration-dependent effects of antibiotics on the developing neonatal gut microbiota needs to be precisely quantified.

METHODS

In this retrospective, cross-sectional study, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing on stool swab samples collected from neonatal intensive care unit patients within 7 days of discontinuation of therapy who received ampicillin and tobramycin (AT), ampicillin and cefotaxime (AC), or ampicillin, tobramycin, and metronidazole (ATM). We compared taxonomic composition within term and preterm infant groups between treatment regimens. We calculated adjusted effect estimates for antibiotic type and duration of therapy on the richness of obligate anaerobes and known butyrate-producers in all infants.

RESULTS

A total of 72 infants were included in the study. Term infants received AT (20/28; 71%) or AC (8/28; 29%) with median durations of 3 and 3.5 days, respectively. Preterm infants received AT (32/44; 73%) or ATM (12/44; 27%) with median durations of 4 and 7 days, respectively. Compositional analyses of 67 stool swab samples demonstrated low diversity and dominance by potential pathogens. Within 1 week of discontinuation of therapy, each additional day of antibiotics was associated with lower richness of obligate anaerobes (adjusted risk ratio [aRR], 0.84; 95% confidence interval [CI], .73-.95) and butyrate-producers (aRR, 0.82; 95% CI, .67-.97).

CONCLUSIONS

Each additional day of antibiotics was associated with lower richness of anaerobes and butyrate-producers within 1 week after therapy. A longitudinally sampled cohort with preexposure sampling is needed to validate our results.

PCR for the detection of pathogens in neonatal early onset sepsis

Background

A large proportion of neonates are treated for presumed bacterial sepsis with broad spectrum antibiotics even though their blood cultures subsequently show no growth. This study aimed to investigate PCR-based methods to identify pathogens not detected by conventional culture.

Methods

Whole blood samples of 208 neonates with suspected early onset sepsis were tested using a panel of multiplexed bacterial PCRs targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus agalactiae (GBS), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes (GAS), Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus faecalis, Enterococcus faecium, Ureaplasma parvum, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Mycoplasma hominis and Mycoplasma genitalium, a 16S rRNA gene broad-range PCR and a multiplexed PCR for Candida spp.

Results

Two-hundred and eight samples were processed. In five of those samples, organisms were detected by conventional culture; all of those were also identified by PCR. PCR detected bacteria in 91 (45%) of the 203 samples that did not show bacterial growth in culture. S. aureus, Enterobacteriaceae and S. pneumoniae were the most frequently detected pathogens. A higher bacterial load detected by PCR was correlated positively with the number of clinical signs at presentation.

Conclusion

Real-time PCR has the potential to be a valuable additional tool for the diagnosis of neonatal sepsis.

Effect of Weekly Antibiotic Round on Antibiotic Use in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as Antibiotic Stewardship Strategy

Background: Antibiotics are commonly used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The objective was to observe the effect of weekly antibiotic round in NICU (WARN) to the antibiotic use in NICU. Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed. Departmental-level diagnosis categories and the parameters of antibiotic usage in NICU for the period of 2016-2017 (Phase 1) and 2018-2019 (Phase 2) were collected. WARN in NICU was started since January 2018. A time series forecasting was used to predict the quarterly antibiotic use in Phase 2, based on data from Phase 1. The actual antibiotic use of each quarter in Phase 2 was compared with the predicted values. Results: Totally 9297 neonates were included (4743 in Phase 1, 4488 in Phase 2). The composition of the disease spectrum between Phase 1 and Phase 2 was not different (P > 0.05). In Phase 1 and Phase 2, the overall antibiotic rate was 94.4 and 74.2%, the average accumulative defined daily dose per month was 199.00 ± 55.77 and 66.80 ± 45.64, the median antibiotic use density per month was 10.31 (9.00-13.27) and 2.48 (1.92-4.66), the median accumulative defined daily dose per case per month was 0.10 (0.09-0.13) and 0.03 (0.02-0.47), the number of patients who received any kind of antibiotic per 1000 hospital days per month was 103.45 (99.30-107.48) and 78.66 (74.62-82.77), rate of culture investigation before antibiotics was 64 to 92%, respectively, and all were better than the predicted values (P < 0.01). Conclusion: The implementation of periodical antibiotic rounds was effective in reducing the antibiotics use in the NICU.

Antibiotic Stewardship in Premature Infants: A Systematic Review

INTRODUCTION

Antibiotic treatment in premature infants is often empirically prescribed, and practice varies widely among otherwise comparable neonatal intensive care units. Unnecessary and prolonged antibiotic treatment is documented in numerous studies. Recent research shows serious side effects and suggests long-term adverse health effects in prematurely born infants exposed to antibiotics in early life. One preventive measure to reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure is implementation of antibiotic stewardship programs. Our objective was to review the literature on implemented antibiotic stewardship programs including premature infants with gestational age ≤34 weeks.

METHODS

Six academic databases (PubMed [Medline], McMaster PLUS, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, UpToDate, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) were systematically searched. PRISMA guidelines were applied.

RESULTS

The search retrieved 1,212 titles of which 12 fitted inclusion criteria (11 observational studies and 1 randomized clinical trial). Included articles were critically appraised. We grouped the articles according to common area of implemented stewardship actions: (1) focus on reducing initiation of antibiotic therapy, (2) focus on shortening duration of antibiotic therapy, (3) various organizational stewardship implementations. The heterogeneity of cohort composition, of implemented actions and of outcome measures made meta-analysis inappropriate. We provide an overview of the reduction in antibiotic use achieved.

CONCLUSION

Antibiotic stewardship programs can be effective for premature newborns especially when multifactorial and tailored to this population, focusing on reducing initiation or on shortening the duration of antibiotic therapy. Programs without specific measures were less effective.

The most common patient safety issues resulting in legal action against neonatologists

Common patient safety issues may result in injuries to babies in the newborn period. A medical malpractice lawsuit is one way in which an injured patient can obtain compensation for the injuries they sustained as the result of an error. There are a number of common areas of malpractice risk for neonatologists including the delivery room, jaundice, hypoglycemia, and late preterm infants. A better understanding of the medical malpractice system and common patient safety issues in neonatology can lead to protective strategies to reduce risk for untoward events and subsequent litigation. Strategies including maintaining competency, following national guidelines, and proper communication and documentation can improve the care and treatment of neonatal patients and their families resulting in less malpractice exposure.

Human umbilical-cord mesenchymal stem cells inhibit bacterial growth and alleviate antibiotic resistance in neonatal imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa infection

Human umbilical-cord mesenchymal stem cells (hUCMSCs) are a safe and convenient source of MSCs and have shown beneficial effects in neonatal infection and sepsis animal models. However, the factors leading to improved outcomes are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the antibacterial effect and regulation of antimicrobial resistance of hUCMSCs. We separated imipenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) from neonates and incubated it with hUCMSCs as well as their culture medium. Assessment of direct inhibition of bacterial growth was done by counting CFUs. The concentration of antibacterial peptides in the culture medium of hUCMSCs was measured. Standard PA was inoculated with a sub-inhibitory concentration of imipenem with and without hUCMSC conditioned medium and antimicrobial peptides. The sensitivity to imipenem was detected until PA showed resistance to imipenem. Outer membrane protein (OprD2) mRNA expression in PA before and after the induction of imipenem resistance was analysed. We found that HUCMSCs possessed direct antimicrobial properties against bacteria and could alleviate antibiotic resistance via reserving OprD2 expression in PA.

Antibiotic prescriptions in Italian hospitalised children after serial point prevalence surveys (or pointless prevalence surveys): has anything actually changed over the years?

BACKGROUND

Point prevalence surveys have been used in several studies to provide immediate and easily comparable information about antibiotic use and showed that about one third of hospitalised children had on ongoing antimicrobial prescription during their hospital admission. The aim of this study, as part of the Global Antimicrobial Resistance, Prescribing and Efficacy in Neonates and Children project, is to describe antimicrobial prescriptions among hospitalised children in four tertiary care hospitals in Italy to show if something has changed over the years.

METHODS

Four tertiary care Italian's hospitals joined three Point Prevalence Surveys (PPSs) in three different period of the year. All children under 18 years of age with an ongoing antimicrobial prescription, admitted on the participating wards at 8 o'clock in the morning of the selecting day were enrolled.

RESULTS

A total of 1412 patients (475 neonates and 937 children) were admitted in the days of three PPSs. Overall, among the total admitted patients, 565 patients (40%) had an ongoing antimicrobial prescription in the days of the survey A total of 718 antibiotics were administered in the 485 admitted children and 133 in neonates. The most common indications for antibiotic therapy in children was Lower respiratory tract infections (244/718, 34%), while in neonates were prophylaxis for medical problems (35/133, 26.3%), newborn prophylaxis for newborn risk factors (29/133, 21.8%) and prophylaxis for surgical disease (15/133, 11.3%).

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, it appears that nothing has changed since the last PPS and that the quality improved targets, underlyined in previous studies, are always the same. Serial PPSs can be part of AMS strategies but they are not sufficient alone to produce changes in clinical practice.

Antibiotic Stewardship in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: Effects of an Automatic 48-Hour Antibiotic Stop Order on Antibiotic Use

BACKGROUND

Meeting antibiotic stewardship goals in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is challenging because of the unique nature of newborns and the lack of specificity of clinical signs of sepsis. Antibiotics are commonly continued for 48 hours pending culture results and clinical status. The goal of this study was to examine if the implementation of a 48-hour automatic stop (autostop) order during NICU admissions would decrease antibiotic use at UnityPoint Health-Meriter.

METHODS

An observational double-cohort study was performed in a level 3 NICU. Antibiotic use was evaluated before and after the autostop initiative. The admission order set included 48 hours of ampicillin and gentamicin coverage.

RESULTS

After the autostop initiation, total doses given per patient decreased by 35% and doses per patient-day decreased by 25% (P < .0001). The greatest effect was a 66% decrease in the use of vancomycin, an antibiotic not included in the admission order set. Providers proactively continued antibiotics for infants in whom they had high suspicion for sepsis and in those with positive blood or cerebral spinal fluid culture results.

CONCLUSIONS

An admission-order autostop was highly effective at decreasing antibiotic usage with no doses intended for a pathogen missed. Fewer doses of certain antibiotics outside of the admission order set were administered, particularly vancomycin, which results in our speculation that provider awareness of the antibiotic stewardship initiative might have altered prescribing practices.

Perspective of Pakistani Physicians towards Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs: A Multisite Exploratory Qualitative Study

Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global threat and the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) is a globally used tool to combat AMR. There is little information on the views among Pakistani physicians regarding AMR and the benefits of hospital antimicrobial stewardship implementation. This study was designed to explore the physicians’ views about ASP. Methods: Qualitative face-to-face and telephonic interviews were conducted by using purposive sampling method with 22 physicians working in seven tertiary care public hospitals of Punjab, Pakistan. All interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative software was used, and a thematic analysis was conducted. Results: Three broad themes were identified: (1) the growing concern of antimicrobial resistance in Pakistan, (2) the role(s) of healthcare professionals in antibiotic prescribing, and (3) managing antibiotic resistance in hospitals. Inadequate resources, poor healthcare facilities, and insufficiently trained medical staff were the major hurdles in ASP implementation in Pakistan. Conclusions: Our study found a poor familiarity of hospital ASP among physicians working in public sector tertiary care teaching hospitals, and a number of distinct themes emerged during this study that could be helpful in establishing the concept of hospital ASP in Pakistan. Overall, physicians showed a positive attitude towards the enforcement of ASP in all healthcare settings, including teaching hospitals.

Challenges and opportunities for antibiotic stewardship among preterm infants

Antibiotic stewardship programmes aim to optimise antimicrobial use to prevent the emergence of resistance species and protect patients from the side effects of unnecessary medication. The high incidence of systemic infection and associated mortality from these infections leads neonatal providers to frequently initiate antibiotic therapy and make empiric antibiotic courses one of the main contributors of antibiotic use in the neonatal units. Yet, premature infants are also at risk for acute life-threatening complications associated with antibiotic use such as necrotising enterocolitis and for long-term morbidities such as asthma. In this review, we discuss specific aspects of antibiotic use in the very low birthweight preterm infants, with a focus on empiric use, that provide opportunities for stewardship practice. We discuss strategies to risk-stratify antibiotic initiation for the risk of early-onset sepsis, optimise empiric therapy duration and antibiotic choice in late-onset sepsis, and standardise decisions for stopping empiric therapy. Lastly, review the evolving role of biomarkers in antibiotic stewardship.

Antibiotic Overuse in Premature Low Birth Weight Infants in a Developing Country

BACKGROUND

Neonatal sepsis is a leading cause of child morbidity and mortality, especially in premature and low birth weight infants. Prompt antibiotic therapy is warranted, but its inappropriate use leads to bacterial resistance and adverse outcomes. Our objective is to describe the antibiotic use for late-onset sepsis in Peruvian premature infants.

METHODS

This study is a prospective study as a secondary analysis of a clinical trial in 3 neonatal care units in Peru. We included infants in the first 72 hours of life, with birth weight (BW) <2000 g. We described the antibiotic use as length of therapy (LOT) per 1000 patient days (PD) and antibiotic courses.

RESULTS

We included 408 neonates, with 12,204 PD of follow-up; 253 infants (62%) had a BW ≤1500 g. Total antibiotic use for late-onset sepsis was 2395 LOT (196 LOT/1000 PD). Two-hundred and seventy-one patients (66.4%) did not receive antibiotics for late-onset sepsis during their hospitalization. In total, 204 antibiotic courses were administered; 92 infants (22.5%) received 1 course, and 45 (11.0%) received 2-5 antibiotic courses. Mean duration of antibiotic course was 10.8 days (standard deviation: ±7.3). We found a significant association between a lower BW and increased antibiotic use per day (P < 0.001). The most commonly used antibiotics were vancomycin (143 LOT/1000 PD), carbapenems (115 LOT/1000 PD), aminoglycosides (72 LOT/1000 PD) and ampicillin (41 LOT/1000 PD).

CONCLUSIONS

Premature infants receive antibiotics for longer than recommended periods of time. Antibiotic overuse is greater in neonates with lower BW. Vancomycin is the most used antibiotic. There is an urgent need to develop antimicrobial stewardship programs in our setting.

A standardized guideline for antibiotic prophylaxis in surgical neonates. Semin Pediatr Surg 2019;28:53-56. [PMID: 30824135 DOI: 10.1053/j.sempedsurg.2019.01.009]

Infection following surgical procedures leads to increased morbidity and mortality in all populations. Guidelines to aid providers in the proper use of prophylactic antibiotics exist for adults, but are rare in the neonatal surgical population. A recent emphasis on appropriate antibiotic stewardship had led to the development of more guidelines without a coincident increase in surgical site infection. Robust data from randomized, controlled trials, however, remain sparse.

Neonatal sepsis in South Asia: huge burden and spiralling antimicrobial resistance

M Jeeva Sankar and colleagues call for urgent action to improve quality of care at birth and implement antimicrobial stewardship in health facilities in South Asia to reduce neonatal deaths from sepsis

Reduction of Inappropriate Antimicrobial Prescriptions in a Tertiary Neonatal Intensive Care Unit After Antimicrobial Stewardship Care Bundle Implementation

BACKGROUND

Our objective was to evaluate the appropriateness of antibiotic prescriptions in the neonatal intensive care unit using standardized criteria and determine the effects of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on patterns of antibiotic usage.

METHODS

A retrospective audit of antibiotic use from July 2010 to June 2013 was conducted, focusing on prescriptions of vancomycin, cefotaxime, meropenem and linezolid for >3 calendar-days. We evaluated the appropriateness of each course of antibiotic treatment based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 12-Step Guidelines to Prevent Antimicrobial Resistance (steps 4, 6 and 9). An ASP was introduced in August 2014, and the same audit criteria were applied to review antimicrobial use in the subsequent 12 months.

RESULTS

In the pre-ASP era, 26.3%, 12.1%, 11.4% and 0% of meropenem, cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid courses, respectively, were inappropriate. The most common instance of inappropriate utilization included failure to use narrow-spectrum antimicrobials when appropriate. After the introduction of ASP program, 22.2%, 7.5%, 5.4% and 0% of meropenem, cefotaxime, vancomycin and linezolid courses, respectively, were inappropriate. The numbers of inappropriate antibiotic-days/1000 days of therapy with meropenem, cefotaxime and vancomycin changed from 1.89 to 1.96 [rate ratio (RR), 1.04 (0.70-1.52)], 3.56 to 1.73 [RR, 0.49 (0.33-0.71)] and 2.70 to 1.01 [RR, 0.37 (0.22-0.60)], respectively. In subgroup analysis, very low birth weight infants (birth weight, <1500 g) showed no improvement in the rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, we found that ASP initiatives can be applied in neonatal populations to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial prescriptions, though a different approach may be needed among very low birth weight infants.

Blood culture indications in critically ill neonates: a multicenter prospective cohort study

Due to potential lethality of healthcare-associated sepsis (HAS), a low threshold for blood culturing and antimicrobial therapy (ABT) initiation is accepted. We assessed variability in the trigger for blood culturing between three neonatal intensive care units. A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted. In newborns with suspicion of HAS, 10 predefined clinical signs, nosocomial sepsis (NOSEP) score, C-reactive protein, ABT initiation, and risk factors were registered at time of culturing. Outcome was lab-confirmed HAS, defined according to the NeoKISS-criteria. Two hundred ninety-nine suspected HAS episodes were considered in 212 infants, of which 118 had birth-weight ≤ 1500 g; proportion of lab-confirmed HAS per suspected episode was 30/192 (center 1), 28/60 (center 2), and 8/47 (center 3) (p < 0.001). Median C-reactive protein and number of clinical signs at time of culturing differed between centers 1, 2, and 3 (respectively 11 vs. 5 vs. 3 mg/L, p = 0.001; 1 sign [IQR 0-2, center 1] vs. 3 signs [IQR 2-4, centers 2 and 3], p < 0.001). Median NOSEP score at time of culturing was 5 (IQR 3-8, center 1), 5 (IQR 3-9, center 2), and 8 (IQR 5-11, center 3) (p = 0.016). Difference in ABT initiation was noticed (82 vs. 93 vs. 74%, p = 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Center heterogeneity in sampling practice is substantial. Optimizing sampling practice can be recommended. What is Known: • Blood culture test is a common diagnostic procedure in critically-ill newborns. • A low threshold for sampling and antimicrobial therapy initiation is accepted. What is New: • Variability in blood culture practice was assessed between 3 neonatal intensive care units by the registration of sampling frequencies, clinical indications, and antimicrobial therapy initiation.

Antimicrobial stewardship in the neonatal unit reduces antibiotic exposure

AIM

Antimicrobial stewardship plays an important role in ensuring that the appropriate drug, dose, route and duration are employed to provide adequate treatment while minimising the risks of unnecessary antibiotic use. Surveillance of antibiotic use with prescriber feedback is recommended as a high-impact stewardship intervention. The aim of this study was to reduce unnecessary antimicrobial use in a neonatal unit.

METHODS

A prospective audit was performed to assess compliance with antimicrobial guidelines. Following this, educational interventions were applied, electronic prescribing was introduced to the neonatal unit, and re-audit was performed. The primary outcome was a reduction in days of therapy (DOT).

RESULTS

There were 312 neonatal admissions. There was a significant overall reduction in the primary outcome of DOT/1000 patient days from 572 to 417 DOT. This represents a 27% reduction in total antibiotic use. Prolonged antibiotic treatment courses >36 hours in negative sepsis evaluations were reduced from 82 DOT to 7.5 DOT. Similarly, treatment courses greater than five days for culture-negative sepsis were reduced from 46.5 DOT to 7 DOT.

CONCLUSION

Monitoring antibiotic prescribing data can provide useful insights into the trends of antibiotic use and also inform clinicians of potential areas where antibiotic use may be safely reduced.

[Research advances in rational use of antibiotics in neonates]

Antibiotics are commonly used in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but unnecessary or long-time exposure to antibiotics early after birth can increase the risk of poor prognosis of neonates. Antibiotic treatment in the NICU often begins with empiric therapy, but no uniform standards have been established for the initiation and course of empiric therapy. In neonates with negative bacterial culture results and stable clinical manifestations, empiric antibiotic therapy should be terminated in a timely manner. There are significant differences in the use of antibiotics in different NICUs. A targeted antimicrobial stewardship program is an effective way for optimizing the use of antibiotics in the NICU.

Using a common data platform to facilitate audit and feedback on the quality of hospital care provided to sick newborns in Kenya

Essential interventions to reduce neonatal deaths that can be effectively delivered in hospitals have been identified. Improving information systems may support routine monitoring of the delivery of these interventions and outcomes at scale. We used cycles of audit and feedback (A&F) coupled with the use of a standardised newborn admission record (NAR) form to explore the potential for creating a common inpatient neonatal data platform and illustrate its potential for monitoring prescribing accuracy. Revised NARs were introduced in a high volume, neonatal unit in Kenya together with 13 A&F meetings over a period of 3  years from January 2014 to November 2016. Data were abstracted from medical records for 15 months before introduction of the revised NAR and A&F and during the 3 years of A&F. We calculated, for each patient, the percentage of documented items from among the total recommended for documentation and trends calculated over time. Gentamicin prescribing accuracy was also tracked over time. Records were examined for 827 and 7336 patients in the pre-A&F and post-A&F periods, respectively. Documentation scores improved overall. Documentation of gestational age improved from <15% in 2014 to >75% in 2016. For five recommended items, including temperature, documentation remained <50%. 16.7% (n=1367; 95%  CI 15.9 to 17.6) of the admitted babies had a diagnosis of neonatal sepsis needing antibiotic treatment. In this group, dosing accuracy of gentamicin improved over time for those under 2  kg from 60% (95%36.1 to 80.1) in 2013 to 83% (95% CI 69.2 to 92.3) in 2016. We report that it is possible to improve routine data collection in neonatal units using a standardised neonatal record linked to relatively basic electronic data collection tools and cycles of A&F. This can be useful in identifying potential gaps in care and tracking outcomes with an aim of improving the quality of care.

Pediatric Antimicrobial Stewardship: State of the Art

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

We aim to systematically review the literature on the effectiveness of pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) and antimicrobial stewardship (AS) strategies in the United States (US) inpatient setting. Furthermore, we review current gaps and challenges for unique pediatric populations and those in ambulatory settings.

RECENT FINDINGS

Misuse and overuse of antimicrobials have been identified as key factors for antimicrobial resistance (AR). Multiple professional organizations support the implementation of hospital-based ASPs to decrease antimicrobial consumption, improve patient outcomes, and reduce healthcare costs. There is limited data on the effectiveness of inpatient pediatric ASPs and AS strategies in unique populations. Furthermore, there is a paucity of evidence on ASPs in ambulatory settings. This review contributes to the growing body of evidence that supports the use of pediatric ASPs to optimize antimicrobial therapy in the inpatient setting as well as in unique patient populations and ambulatory settings. Active stewardship is critical and antimicrobial consumption is a key outcome metric for programs.

Inadequate use of antibiotics and increase in neonatal sepsis caused by resistant bacteria related to health care assistance: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Technologies and life support management have enhanced the survival of preterm infants. The immune system of newborns is immature, which contributes to the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections. The overlap of several conditions with neonatal sepsis and the difficulty of diagnosis and laboratory confirmation during this period result in a tendency to over-treat neonatal sepsis. The use of antimicrobial agents is a risk factor for multidrug-resistant bacterial infections. This work aimed to perform a systematic review of the relationship between inadequate use of antimicrobial agents and increase in neonatal sepsis related to healthcare assistance, due to bacterial resistance.

METHODS

Our population, exposition, comparison, outcome and study type was as follows: P: hospitalized neonates with sepsis diagnosis, E: inappropriate use of antimicrobial agents, C: adequate use of antimicrobial agents or no indication of infection, O: resistant bacterial infection, and S: original studies. We performed searches in the PubMed, Scopus, Virtual Health Library (Scielo, LILACS, and MEDLINE), and Embase without limits on time, language, and the references of the articles found. Fourteen studies were included and assessed using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, Newcastle, and the Strengthening the Reporting of Observacional Studies in Epidemiology methodologies.

RESULTS

All studies found were observational and started with a low-quality evidence level in the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite their low-quality evidence, the studies demonstrated the association between inadequate use of antimicrobial agents and increase of neonatal resistant bacterial healthcare-associated infections in neonatal units. However, there is significant difficulty in conducting high-quality studies in this population due to ethical issues tied to randomized trials. Therefore, new studies should be encouraged to recommend adequate treatment of newborns without increasing the risk of healthcare-associated infections by multidrug-resistant bacteria.

Prolonged use of antibiotics after birth is associated with increased morbidity in preterm infants with negative cultures

Background: Most preterm infants are exposed to a variable duration of antibiotic therapy after birth despite negative cultures. Data is emerging about the risks of prolonged antibiotics. We sought to assess the association between length of initial antibiotic course and neonatal outcomes in a cohort from a single large perinatal center.Methods: Retrospective cohort study of prospectively collected data on all infants with a birth weight of less than 1250 g hospitalized in our NICU in a 4 year window and who had negative blood and CSF cultures in the first 2 days of life. The primary outcome is a composite of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), late onset sepsis (LOS) and death evaluated using multivariable regression analysis.Results: A total of 620 infants less than 1250 g with negative cultures were eligible for study over a 4 year period. The 238 infants with more than 5 days initial antibiotic use were significantly smaller and of lower gestational age than the 382 infants who received up to 5 days of antibiotics. Their mothers had more clinical chorioamnionitis, less maternal hypertension and greater perinatal use of antibiotics. On multivariate analysis, infants who received empiric antibiotics for longer than 5 days had higher rates of neonatal morbidities after adjusting for gestational age, SNAP II, small-for-gestational age status, gender, maternal hypertension, prenatal steroid treatment, clinical chorioamnionitis, intrapartum antibiotic treatment, and multiple births. Composite outcome OR: 1.83 (1.15 to 2.92), LOS OR: 2.02 (1.20 to 3.39), bronchopulmonary dysplasia OR: 1.58 (1.04 to 2.29). Mortality and NEC were not significantly different.Conclusion: More than 5 days of antibiotic treatment in very preterm infants with negative cultures was associated with increased morbidity in our population, and that included BPD. It is of note that patterns of increased morbidity and/or mortality differ between studies. Prospective trials of clinical protocols for starting and stopping antibiotics in the very preterm infants are required.

Towards a global definition of responsible antibiotic use: results of an international multidisciplinary consensus procedure

Background

Conducted as part of the Driving Reinvestment in Research and Development and Responsible Antibiotic Use (DRIVE-AB) project, this study aimed to identify key elements for a global definition of responsible antibiotic use based on diverse stakeholder input.

Methods

A three-step RAND-modified Delphi method was applied. First, a systematic review of antibiotic stewardship literature and relevant organization web sites identified definitions and synonyms of responsible use. Identified elements of definitions were presented by questionnaire to a multidisciplinary international stakeholder panel for appraisal of their relevance. Finally, questionnaire results were discussed in a consensus meeting.

Results

The systematic review and the web site search identified 17 synonyms (e.g. appropriate, correct) and 22 potential elements to include in a definition of responsible use. Elements were grouped into patient-level (e.g. Indication, Documentation) or societal-level elements (e.g. Education, Future Effectiveness). Forty-eight stakeholders with diverse backgrounds [medical community, public health, patients, antibiotic research and development (R&D), regulators, governments] from 18 countries across all continents participated in the questionnaire. Based on relevance scores, 21 elements were retained, 9 were rephrased and 1 was added. Together, the 22 elements and associated best-practice descriptions comprise an exhaustive list of elements to be considered when defining responsible use.

Conclusions

Combination of concepts from the literature and stakeholder opinion led to an international multidisciplinary consensus on a global definition of responsible antibiotic use. The widely diverging perspectives of stakeholders providing input should ensure the comprehensiveness and relevance of the definition for both individual patients and society. An aspirational goal would be to address all elements.

Emerging Technologies for Molecular Diagnosis of Sepsis

Rapid and accurate profiling of infection-causing pathogens remains a significant challenge in modern health care. Despite advances in molecular diagnostic techniques, blood culture analysis remains the gold standard for diagnosing sepsis. However, this method is too slow and cumbersome to significantly influence the initial management of patients. The swift initiation of precise and targeted antibiotic therapies depends on the ability of a sepsis diagnostic test to capture clinically relevant organisms along with antimicrobial resistance within 1 to 3 h. The administration of appropriate, narrow-spectrum antibiotics demands that such a test be extremely sensitive with a high negative predictive value. In addition, it should utilize small sample volumes and detect polymicrobial infections and contaminants. All of this must be accomplished with a platform that is easily integrated into the clinical workflow. In this review, we outline the limitations of routine blood culture testing and discuss how emerging sepsis technologies are converging on the characteristics of the ideal sepsis diagnostic test. We include seven molecular technologies that have been validated on clinical blood specimens or mock samples using human blood. In addition, we discuss advances in machine learning technologies that use electronic medical record data to provide contextual evaluation support for clinical decision-making.

Quality pharmacy services and key performance indicators in Polish NICUs: a Delphi approach

Background Currently, there is no literature describing what a quality level of practice entails in Polish neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), nor are there any means of currently measuring the quality of pharmaceutical care provided to NICU patients. Objective To identify a set of essential pharmacist roles and pharmacy-relevant key performance indicators (KPI's) suitable for Polish neonatal intensive units (NICUs). Setting Polish hospital pharmacies and NICUs. Method Using a modified Delphi technique, potential KPI's structured along Donabedian's domains as well as pharmacy services were presented to an expert panel of stakeholders. Two online, consecutive Delphi rounds, were completed by panellists between August and September 2017. Main outcome measure To identify the minimum level of pharmacy services that should be consistently provided to NICU patients. Results A total of 16 panellists contributed to the expert panel. Overall, consensus of 75% was reached for 23 indicators and for 28 roles. When considering pharmacy services for the NICU, the experts were found to highly value traditional pharmacy roles, such as dispensing and extemporaneous compounding, however, they were still eager for roles in the other domains, such as educational and clinical services, to be listed as essential for NICU practice. Panellists were found to positively value the list of indicators presented, and excluded only 9 out of the total list. Conclusion There is a need for future research to establish a minimum standard of practice for Polish pharmacists to encourage the progression and standardisation of hospital pharmacy services to meet the level of practice seen in NICUs worldwide.