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Schwartz KL, Shuldiner J, Langford BJ, Brown KA, Schultz SE, Leung V, Daneman N, Tadrous M, Witteman HO, Garber G, Grimshaw JM, Leis JA, Presseau J, Silverman MS, Taljaard M, Gomes T, Lacroix M, Brehaut J, Thavorn K, Gushue S, Friedman L, Zwarenstein M, Ivers N. Mailed feedback to primary care physicians on antibiotic prescribing for patients aged 65 years and older: pragmatic, factorial randomised controlled trial. BMJ 2024; 385:e079329. [PMID: 38839101 PMCID: PMC11151833 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2024-079329] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To evaluate whether providing family physicians with feedback on their antibiotic prescribing compared with that of their peers reduces antibiotic prescriptions. To also identify effects on antibiotic prescribing from case-mix adjusted feedback reports and messages emphasising antibiotic associated harms. DESIGN Pragmatic, factorial randomised controlled trial. SETTING Primary care physicians in Ontario, Canada PARTICIPANTS: All primary care physicians were randomly assigned a group if they were eligible and actively prescribing antibiotics to patients 65 years or older. Physicians were excluded if had already volunteered to receive antibiotic prescribing feedback from another agency, or had opted out of the trial. INTERVENTION A letter was mailed in January 2022 to physicians with peer comparison antibiotic prescribing feedback compared with the control group who did not receive a letter (4:1 allocation). The intervention group was further randomised in a 2x2 factorial trial to evaluate case-mix adjusted versus unadjusted comparators, and emphasis, or not, on harms of antibiotics. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Antibiotic prescribing rate per 1000 patient visits for patients 65 years or older six months after intervention. Analysis was in the modified intention-to-treat population using Poisson regression. RESULTS 5046 physicians were included and analysed: 1005 in control group and 4041 in intervention group (1016 case-mix adjusted data and harms messaging, 1006 with case-mix adjusted data and no harms messaging, 1006 unadjusted data and harms messaging, and 1013 unadjusted data and no harms messaging). At six months, mean antibiotic prescribing rate was 59.4 (standard deviation 42.0) in the control group and 56.0 (39.2) in the intervention group (relative rate 0.95 (95% confidence interval 0.94 to 0.96). Unnecessary antibiotic prescribing (0.89 (0.86 to 0.92)), prolonged duration prescriptions defined as more than seven days (0.85 (0.83 to 0.87)), and broad spectrum prescribing (0.94 (0.92 to 0.95)) were also significantly lower in the intervention group compared with the control group. Results were consistent at 12 months post intervention. No significant effect was seen for including emphasis on harms messaging. A small increase in antibiotic prescribing with case-mix adjusted reports was noted (1.01 (1.00 to 1.03)). CONCLUSIONS Peer comparison audit and feedback letters significantly reduced overall antibiotic prescribing with no benefit of case-mix adjustment or harms messaging. Antibiotic prescribing audit and feedback is a scalable and effective intervention and should be a routine quality improvement initiative in primary care. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04594200.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L Schwartz
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jennifer Shuldiner
- Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley J Langford
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin A Brown
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Valerie Leung
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Michael Garron Hospital, Toronto East Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nick Daneman
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Mina Tadrous
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Holly O Witteman
- Department of Family and Emergency Medicine, Laval University, Quebec City, QC, Canada
- Vitam Research Centre for Sustainable Health, Quebec City, QC, Canada
| | - Gary Garber
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON,
Canada
| | - Jeremy M Grimshaw
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON,
Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Jerome A Leis
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Justin Presseau
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | - Monica Taljaard
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Tara Gomes
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Meagan Lacroix
- Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Jamie Brehaut
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | - Kednapa Thavorn
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Clinical Epidemiology Program, Ottawa Hospital Research
Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada
- School of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Ottawa,
Ottawa, ON, Canada
| | | | | | - Merrick Zwarenstein
- Departments of Family Medicine and Epidemiology/Biostatistics, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Noah Ivers
- ICES, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Women's College Hospital Institute for Health System Solutions and Virtual Care, Women's College Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Chua KP, Fischer MA, Rahman M, Linder JA. Changes in the Appropriateness of US Outpatient Antibiotic Prescribing After the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Outbreak: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis of 2016-2021 Data. Clin Infect Dis 2024:ciae135. [PMID: 38648159 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciae135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND No national study has evaluated changes in the appropriateness of US outpatient antibiotic prescribing across all conditions and age groups after the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in March 2020. METHODS This was an interrupted time series analysis of Optum's de-identified Clinformatics Data Mart Database, a national commercial and Medicare Advantage claims database. Analyses included prescriptions for antibiotics dispensed to children and adults enrolled during each month during 2017-2021. For each prescription, we applied our previously developed antibiotic appropriateness classification scheme to International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification diagnosis codes on medical claims occurring on or during the 3 days prior to dispensing. Outcomes included the monthly proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate and the monthly proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription. Using segmented regression models, we assessed for level and slope changes in outcomes in March 2020. RESULTS Analyses included 37 566 581 enrollees, of whom 19 154 059 (51.0%) were female. The proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription decreased in March 2020 (level decrease: -0.80 percentage points [95% confidence interval {CI}, -1.09% to -.51%]) and subsequently increased (slope increase: 0.02 percentage points per month [95% CI, .01%-.03%]), partly because overall antibiotic dispensing rebounded and partly because the proportion of antibiotic prescriptions that were inappropriate increased (slope increase: 0.11 percentage points per month [95% CI, .04%-.18%]). In December 2021, the proportion of enrollees with ≥1 inappropriate prescription equaled the corresponding proportion in December 2019. CONCLUSIONS Despite an initial decline, the proportion of enrollees exposed to inappropriate antibiotics returned to baseline levels by December 2021. Findings underscore the continued importance of outpatient antibiotic stewardship initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kao-Ping Chua
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Michael A Fischer
- Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Moshiur Rahman
- Susan B. Meister Child Health Evaluation and Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jeffrey A Linder
- Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
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Ciaccio L, Donnan PT, Parcell BJ, Marwick CA. Community antibiotic prescribing in patients with COVID-19 across three pandemic waves: a population-based study in Scotland, UK. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e081930. [PMID: 38643000 PMCID: PMC11033633 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES This study aims to examine community antibiotic prescribing across a complete geographical area for people with a positive COVID-19 test across three pandemic waves, and to examine health and demographic factors associated with antibiotic prescribing. DESIGN A population-based study using administrative data. SETTING A complete geographical region within Scotland, UK. PARTICIPANTS Residents of two National Health Service Scotland health boards with SARS-CoV-2 virus test results from 1 February 2020 to 31 March 2022 (n=184 954). Individuals with a positive test result (n=16 025) had data linked to prescription and hospital admission data ±28 days of the test, general practice data for high-risk comorbidities and demographic data. OUTCOME MEASURES The associations between patient factors and the odds of antibiotic prescription in COVID-19 episodes across three pandemic waves from multivariate binary logistic regression. RESULTS Data included 768 206 tests for 184 954 individuals, identifying 16 240 COVID-19 episodes involving 16 025 individuals. There were 3263 antibiotic prescriptions ±28 days for 2395 episodes. 35.6% of episodes had a prescription only before the test date, 52.3% of episodes after and 12.1% before and after. Antibiotic prescribing reduced over time: 20.4% of episodes in wave 1, 17.7% in wave 2 and 12.0% in wave 3. In multivariate logistic regression, being female (OR 1.31, 95% CI 1.19 to 1.45), older (OR 3.02, 95% CI 2.50 to 3.68 75+ vs <25 years), having a high-risk comorbidity (OR 1.45, 95% CI 1.31 to 1.61), a hospital admission ±28 days of an episode (OR 1.58, 95% CI 1.42 to 1.77) and health board region (OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.03 to 1.25, board B vs A) increased the odds of receiving an antibiotic. CONCLUSION Community antibiotic prescriptions in COVID-19 episodes were uncommon in this population and likelihood was associated with patient factors. The reduction over pandemic waves may represent increased knowledge regarding COVID-19 treatment and/or evolving symptomatology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Ciaccio
- Division of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee School of Medicine, Dundee, UK
| | - Peter T Donnan
- Division of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee School of Medicine, Dundee, UK
| | - Benjamin J Parcell
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, Dundee, UK
| | - Charis A Marwick
- Division of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee School of Medicine, Dundee, UK
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Zeitouny S, McGrail K, Tadrous M, Wong ST, Cheng L, Law M. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs in British Columbia: a retrospective interrupted time series study. BMJ Open 2024; 14:e070031. [PMID: 38176877 PMCID: PMC10773331 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-070031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on prescription drug use and costs. DESIGN Interrupted time series analysis of comprehensive administrative health data linkages in British Columbia, Canada, from 1 January 2018 to 28 March 2021. SETTING Retrospective population-based analysis of all prescription drugs dispensed in community pharmacies and outpatient hospital pharmacies and irrespective of the drug insurance payer. PARTICIPANTS Between 4.30 and 4.37 million individuals (52% women) actively registered with the publicly funded medical services plan. INTERVENTION COVID-19 pandemic and associated mitigation measures. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Weekly dispensing rates and costs, both overall and stratified by therapeutic groups and pharmacological subgroups, before and after the declaration of the public health emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Relative changes in post-COVID-19 outcomes were expressed as ratios of observed to expected rates. RESULTS After the onset of the pandemic and subsequent COVID-19 mitigation measures, overall medication dispensing rates dropped by 2.4% (p<0.01), followed by a sustained weekly increase to return to predicted levels by the end of January 2021. We observed abrupt level decreases in antibacterials (30.3%, p<0.01) and antivirals (22.4%, p<0.01) that remained below counterfactuals over the first year of the pandemic. In contrast, there was a week-to-week trend increase in nervous system drugs, yielding an overall increase of 7.3% (p<0.01). No trend changes in the dispensing of respiratory system agents, ACE inhibitors, antidiabetic drugs and antidepressants were detected. CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic impact on prescription drug dispensing was heterogeneous across medication subgroups. As data become available, dispensing trends in nervous system agents, antibiotics and antivirals warrant further monitoring and investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seraphine Zeitouny
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Kimberlyn McGrail
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mina Tadrous
- University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Women's College Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sabrina T Wong
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Lucy Cheng
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Michael Law
- Centre for Health Services and Policy Research, School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Edwards B, Wilson R, McDonald G, Daley P. Population-based outpatient antimicrobial use in Newfoundland and Labrador: a retrospective descriptive study. CMAJ Open 2023; 11:E1109-E1117. [PMID: 38016760 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20220221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Data that have been reported on antimicrobial use in Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) do not appear to be representative of use at the population level. We sought to use pharmacy network data on prescriptions to describe outpatient antimicrobial use in NL. METHODS We analyzed all outpatient antimicrobial prescriptions dispensed between June 1, 2017, and June 8, 2021, from the provincial pharmacy network database and translated deidentified data into SPSS. We excluded prescriptions for parenteral and topical antimicrobials, antivirals and antifungals. We described antimicrobial use using the prescription rate and defined daily dose (DDD) rate. RESULTS Overall, we analyzed 1 586 534 prescriptions dispensed to 394 708 people by 3431 prescribers. The rate of antimicrobial use was 741 prescriptions per 1000 population per year (7161 DDD/1000 population/yr). The median duration of prescriptions was 7 (interquartile range 7-10) days. The prescription rate decreased from 867 to 546 per 1000 population per year (-37%) over the study period, and the mean DDD rate decreased from 8387 to 5356 DDD per 1000 population per year (-36.1%). Antimicrobials with the highest DDD rate were amoxicillin (1568 DDD/1000/yr), doxycycline (864 DDD/1000/yr) and ciprofloxacin (633 DDD/1000/yr). Prescribers wrote a mean of 102 (standard deviation 248) prescriptions per year; 3 prescribers wrote more than 2500 prescriptions per year. Overall, 9203 (2.3%) of the 394 708 people in the study population received 4 or more prescriptions per year. INTERPRETATION The rate of antimicrobial use in NL is lower than previously described in national surveillance data. Potential targets for stewardship intervention include prolonged duration of prescriptions, high-rate prescribers and high-rate patients, but further research is needed to assess the appropriateness of prescriptions according to diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Edwards
- Faculty of Medicine (Edwards, Wilson, Daley), Memorial University of Newfoundland; Eastern Health (McDonald, Daley), St. John's, NL
| | - Robert Wilson
- Faculty of Medicine (Edwards, Wilson, Daley), Memorial University of Newfoundland; Eastern Health (McDonald, Daley), St. John's, NL
| | - Gerald McDonald
- Faculty of Medicine (Edwards, Wilson, Daley), Memorial University of Newfoundland; Eastern Health (McDonald, Daley), St. John's, NL
| | - Peter Daley
- Faculty of Medicine (Edwards, Wilson, Daley), Memorial University of Newfoundland; Eastern Health (McDonald, Daley), St. John's, NL
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Tandon P, Brown KA, Daneman N, Langford BJ, Leung V, Friedman L, Schwartz KL. Variability in changes in physician outpatient antibiotic prescribing from 2019 to 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada. ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP & HEALTHCARE EPIDEMIOLOGY : ASHE 2023; 3:e171. [PMID: 38028902 PMCID: PMC10644162 DOI: 10.1017/ash.2023.433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023]
Abstract
Objective To evaluate inter-physician variability and predictors of changes in antibiotic prescribing before (2019) and during (2020/2021) the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis of physicians in Ontario, Canada prescribing oral antibiotics in the outpatient setting between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2021 using the IQVIA Xponent data set. The primary outcome was the change in the number of antibiotic prescriptions between the prepandemic and pandemic period. Secondary outcomes were changes in the selection of broad-spectrum agents and long-duration (>7 d) antibiotic use. We used multivariable linear regression models to evaluate predictors of change. Results There were 17,288 physicians included in the study with substantial inter-physician variability in changes in antibiotic prescribing (median change of -43.5 antibiotics per physician, interquartile range -136.5 to -5.0). In the multivariable model, later career stage (adjusted mean difference [aMD] -45.3, 95% confidence interval [CI] -52.9 to -37.8, p < .001), family medicine (aMD -46.0, 95% CI -62.5 to -29.4, p < .001), male patient sex (aMD -52.4, 95% CI -71.1 to -33.7, p < .001), low patient comorbidity (aMD -42.5, 95% CI -50.3 to -34.8, p < .001), and high prescribing to new patients (aMD -216.5, 95% CI -223.5 to -209.5, p < .001) were associated with decreases in antibiotic initiation. Family medicine and high prescribing to new patients were associated with a decrease in selection of broad-spectrum agents and prolonged antibiotic use. Conclusions Antibiotic prescribing changed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic with overall decreases in antibiotic initiation, broad-spectrum agents, and prolonged antibiotic courses with inter-physician variability. These findings present opportunities for community antibiotic stewardship interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pranav Tandon
- Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Kevin A. Brown
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Nick Daneman
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Bradley J. Langford
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Valerie Leung
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Toronto East Health Network, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | | | - Kevin L. Schwartz
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
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Tiew WT, Chen YC, Hsiao HL, Chen CL, Chen CJ, Chiu CH. Impact of multiplex polymerase chain reaction syndromic panel on antibiotic use among hospitalized children with respiratory tract illness during COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY, IMMUNOLOGY, AND INFECTION = WEI MIAN YU GAN RAN ZA ZHI 2023; 56:688-694. [PMID: 36681556 PMCID: PMC9841733 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmii.2023.01.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/PURPOSE Precise detection of respiratory pathogens by molecular method potentially may shorten the time to diagnose and reduce unnecessary antibiotic use. METHODS Medical records of hospitalized children from January 2020 to June 2021 with acute respiratory illness who received a FilmArray RP for respiratory pathogens were reviewed and compared with data from diagnosis-matched patients without receiving the test. RESULTS In total, 283 patients and 150 diagnosis-matched controls were included. Single pathogen was detected in 84.3% (193/229) of the patients. The most common pathogen was human rhinovirus/enterovirus (31.6%, 84/266), followed by respiratory syncytial virus (18.8%, 50/266) and adenovirus (15%, 40/266). Although antimicrobial days of therapy (DOT) was significantly longer in FilmArray group than the control [7.1 ± 4.9 days vs 5.7 ± 2.7 days, P = 0.002], the former showed a higher intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate (3.9% vs 0%; P = 0.010). All ICU admissions were in FilmArray RP-positive group. There was no difference in antimicrobial DOT between FilmArray RP-positive and the negative groups, in all admissions, even after excluding ICU admissions. Antimicrobial DOT was shorter in the positive than negative group in patients with lower respiratory tract infections without admission to ICU [median (IQR): 6 (4-9) days vs 9 (4-12) days, P = 0.047]. CONCLUSIONS Shorter antimicrobial DOTs were identified in children with lower respiratory tract infection admitted to general pediatric ward and with an identifiable respiratory pathogen, indicating a role of the multiplex PCR in reducing antimicrobial use for children with respiratory tract infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wah-Tin Tiew
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Ministry of Health, Putrajaya, Malaysia
| | - Yi-Ching Chen
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Hsuan-Ling Hsiao
- Department of Pharmacy, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan
| | - Chyi-Liang Chen
- Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, College of Medicine, School of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Chih-Jung Chen
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
| | - Cheng-Hsun Chiu
- Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Molecular Infectious Disease Research Center, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
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Solanky D, McGovern OL, Edwards JR, Mahon G, Patel TS, Lessa FC, Hicks LA, Patel PK. Prescribing of Outpatient Antibiotics Commonly Used for Respiratory Infections Among Adults Before and During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic in Brazil. Clin Infect Dis 2023; 77:S12-S19. [PMID: 37406052 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciad183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have impacted outpatient antibiotic prescribing in low- and middle-income countries such as Brazil. However, outpatient antibiotic prescribing in Brazil, particularly at the prescription level, is not well-described. METHODS We used the IQVIA MIDAS database to characterize changes in prescribing rates of antibiotics commonly prescribed for respiratory infections (azithromycin, amoxicillin-clavulanate, levofloxacin/moxifloxacin, cephalexin, and ceftriaxone) among adults in Brazil overall and stratified by age and sex, comparing prepandemic (January 2019-March 2020) and pandemic periods (April 2020-December 2021) using uni- and multivariate Poisson regression models. The most common prescribing provider specialties for these antibiotics were also identified. RESULTS In the pandemic period compared to the prepandemic period, outpatient azithromycin prescribing rates increased across all age-sex groups (incidence rate ratio [IRR] range, 1.474-3.619), with the greatest increase observed in males aged 65-74 years; meanwhile, prescribing rates for amoxicillin-clavulanate and respiratory fluoroquinolones mostly decreased, and changes in cephalosporin prescribing rates varied across age-sex groups (IRR range, 0.134-1.910). For all antibiotics, the interaction of age and sex with the pandemic in multivariable models was an independent predictor of prescribing changes comparing the pandemic versus prepandemic periods. General practitioners and gynecologists accounted for the majority of increases in azithromycin and ceftriaxone prescribing during the pandemic period. CONCLUSIONS Substantial increases in outpatient prescribing rates for azithromycin and ceftriaxone were observed in Brazil during the pandemic with prescribing rates being disproportionally different by age and sex. General practitioners and gynecologists were the most common prescribers of azithromycin and ceftriaxone during the pandemic, identifying them as potential specialties for antimicrobial stewardship interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dipesh Solanky
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Olivia L McGovern
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jonathan R Edwards
- Surveillance Branch, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Garrett Mahon
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- CACI International Inc., Reston, Virginia, USA
| | - Twisha S Patel
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Chenega Enterprise Systems and Solutions, Chesapeake, Virginia, USA
| | - Fernanda C Lessa
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Lauri A Hicks
- Prevention and Response Branch, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Payal K Patel
- International Infection Control Program, Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, National Center for Emerging Zoonotic and Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
- Division of Clinical Epidemiology and Infectious Diseases, Intermountain Healthcare, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA
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Hambalek H, Matuz M, Ruzsa R, Engi Z, Visnyovszki Á, Papfalvi E, Hajdú E, Doró P, Viola R, Soós G, Csupor D, Benko R. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Ambulatory Care Antibiotic Use in Hungary: A Population-Based Observational Study. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:970. [PMID: 37370289 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12060970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2023] [Revised: 05/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have potentially impacted the use of antibiotics. We aimed to analyze the use of systemic antibiotics (J01) in ambulatory care in Hungary during two pandemic years, to compare it with pre-COVID levels (January 2015-December 2019), and to describe trends based on monthly utilization. Our main findings were that during the studied COVID-19 pandemic period, compared to the pre-COVID level, an impressive 23.22% decrease in the use of systemic antibiotics was detected in ambulatory care. A significant reduction was shown in the use of several antibacterial subgroups, such as beta-lactam antibacterials, penicillins (J01C, -26.3%), and quinolones (J01M, -36.5%). The trends of antibiotic use moved in parallel with the introduction or revoking of restriction measures with a nadir in May 2020, which corresponded to a 55.46% decrease in use compared to the previous (pre-COVID) year's monthly means. In general, the systemic antibiotic use (J01) was lower compared to the pre-COVID periods' monthly means in almost every studied pandemic month, except for three months from September to November in 2021. The seasonal variation of antibiotic use also diminished. Active agent level analysis revealed an excessive use of azithromycin, even after evidence of ineffectiveness for COVID-19 emerged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helga Hambalek
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Central Pharmacy Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Center, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Mária Matuz
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Central Pharmacy Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Center, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Roxána Ruzsa
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Zsófia Engi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Ádám Visnyovszki
- Department of Internal Medicine Infectiology Unit, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Centre, University of Szeged, Állomás Street 1-3, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Erika Papfalvi
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Department of Internal Medicine Infectiology Unit, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Centre, University of Szeged, Állomás Street 1-3, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Edit Hajdú
- Department of Internal Medicine Infectiology Unit, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Centre, University of Szeged, Állomás Street 1-3, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Péter Doró
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Réka Viola
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Central Pharmacy Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Center, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Gyöngyvér Soós
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
| | - Dezső Csupor
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Institute for Translational Medicine, Medical School, University of Pécs, 7624 Pécs, Hungary
| | - Ria Benko
- Institute of Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Central Pharmacy Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Center, University of Szeged, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
- Emergency Department, Albert Szent-Györgyi Health Centre, University of Szeged, Semmelweis Street 6, 6725 Szeged, Hungary
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Kastrin T, Mioč V, Mahnič A, Čižman M. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Community Consumption of Antibiotics for Systemic Use and Resistance of Invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae in Slovenia. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:945. [PMID: 37370264 PMCID: PMC10295396 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12060945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aims to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on community antibiotic consumption and the resistance of invasive Streptococcus pneumoniae (2015-2022) to penicillin in Slovenia. During the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, the total use of antibiotics for systemic use decreased by 23.5% and 24.3%, expressed in defined daily doses per 1000 inhabitants per day (DID), while the use of penicillins, macrolides and broad-spectrum penicillins decreased by 30%, 20% and by 17.5%, respectively, and that of broad-spectrum macrolides fell by 17.1%. The incidence of invasive pneumococcal diseases (IPD) in Slovenia had a large decline during the pandemic. Decreased resistance to macrolides was significantly associated with decreased use of macrolides, while for penicillins the correlation could not be statistically confirmed. The proportion of PCV13 serotypes in IPD in Slovenia decreased after the introduction of the vaccine in the national programme, falling from 81.6% in 2015 to 45.5% in 2022. We noticed a decrease in the serotypes 1, 14, 9V, 7F, 4, 6A and an increase in the serotypes 3, 8, 22F, 11A, 23A and 15A. National interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic substantially decreased outpatients' antibiotic consumption, as well as incidence and resistance of invasive S. pneumoniae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamara Kastrin
- Department for Public Health Microbiology, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Verica Mioč
- Department for Public Health Microbiology, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia;
| | - Aleksander Mahnič
- Department for Microbiological Research, National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia;
| | - Milan Čižman
- Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Koh SWC, Lee VME, Low SH, Tan WZ, Valderas JM, Loh VWK, Sundram M, Hsu LY. Prescribing Antibiotics in Public Primary Care Clinics in Singapore: A Retrospective Cohort Study. Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12040762. [PMID: 37107127 PMCID: PMC10135213 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12040762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Antibiotic prescription practices in primary care in Singapore have received little scholarly attention. In this study, we ascertained prescription prevalence and identified care gaps and predisposing factors. METHODS A retrospective study was conducted on adults (>21 years old) at six public primary care clinics in Singapore. Prescriptions >14 days were excluded. Descriptive statistics were used to showcase the prevalence data. We used chi-square and logistic regression analyses to identify the factors affecting care gaps. RESULTS A total of 141,944 (4.33%) oral and 108,357 (3.31%) topical antibiotics were prescribed for 3,278,562 visits from 2018 to 2021. There was a significant reduction in prescriptions (p < 0.01) before and after the pandemic, which was attributed to the 84% reduction in prescriptions for respiratory conditions. In 2020 to 2021, oral antibiotics were most prescribed for skin (37.7%), genitourinary (20.2%), and respiratory conditions (10.8%). Antibiotic use in the "Access" group (WHO AWaRe classification) improved from 85.6% (2018) to 92.1% (2021). Areas of improvement included a lack of documentation of reasons for antibiotic use, as well as inappropriate antibiotic prescription for skin conditions. CONCLUSION There was a marked reduction in antibiotic prescriptions associated with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Further studies could address the gaps identified here and evaluate private-sector primary care to inform antibiotic guidelines and the local development of stewardship programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sky Wei Chee Koh
- National University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore 609606, Singapore
- Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Vivien Min Er Lee
- National University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore 609606, Singapore
- Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Si Hui Low
- National University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore 609606, Singapore
| | - Wei Zhi Tan
- National University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore 609606, Singapore
- School of Biological Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 637551, Singapore
| | - José María Valderas
- Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Victor Weng Keong Loh
- Division of Family Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
| | - Meena Sundram
- National University Polyclinics, National University Health System, Singapore 609606, Singapore
| | - Li Yang Hsu
- Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117549, Singapore
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12
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Langford BJ, Soucy JPR, Leung V, So M, Kwan AT, Portnoff JS, Bertagnolio S, Raybardhan S, MacFadden DR, Daneman N. Antibiotic resistance associated with the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clin Microbiol Infect 2023; 29:302-309. [PMID: 36509377 PMCID: PMC9733301 DOI: 10.1016/j.cmi.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are two intersecting global public health crises. OBJECTIVE We aimed to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on AMR across health care settings. DATA SOURCE A search was conducted in December 2021 in WHO COVID-19 Research Database with forward citation searching up to June 2022. STUDY ELIGIBILITY Studies evaluating the impact of COVID-19 on AMR in any population were included and influencing factors were extracted. Reporting of enhanced infection prevention and control and/or antimicrobial stewardship programs was noted. METHODS Pooling was done separately for Gram-negative and Gram-positive organisms. Random-effects meta-analysis was performed. RESULTS Of 6036 studies screened, 28 were included and 23 provided sufficient data for meta-analysis. The majority of studies focused on hospital settings (n = 25, 89%). The COVID-19 pandemic was not associated with a change in the incidence density (incidence rate ratio 0.99, 95% CI: 0.67-1.47) or proportion (risk ratio 0.91, 95% CI: 0.55-1.49) of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus or vancomycin-resistant enterococci cases. A non-statistically significant increase was noted for resistant Gram-negative organisms (i.e. extended-spectrum beta-lactamase, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales, carbapenem or multi-drug resistant or carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Acinetobacter baumannii, incidence rate ratio 1.64, 95% CI: 0.92-2.92; risk ratio 1.08, 95% CI: 0.91-1.29). The absence of reported enhanced infection prevention and control and/or antimicrobial stewardship programs initiatives was associated with an increase in gram-negative AMR (risk ratio 1.11, 95% CI: 1.03-1.20). However, a test for subgroup differences showed no statistically significant difference between the presence and absence of these initiatives (p 0.40). CONCLUSION The COVID-19 pandemic may have hastened the emergence and transmission of AMR, particularly for Gram-negative organisms in hospital settings. But there is considerable heterogeneity in both the AMR metrics used and the rate of resistance reported across studies. These findings reinforce the need for strengthened infection prevention, antimicrobial stewardship, and AMR surveillance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J. Langford
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Corresponding author. Bradley J. Langford, Public Health Ontario, Health Protection, 480 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V2, Canada
| | - Jean-Paul R. Soucy
- Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Valerie Leung
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Toronto East Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Miranda So
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Angela T.H. Kwan
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jacob S. Portnoff
- Faculty of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Silvia Bertagnolio
- Department of Surveillance, Prevention and Control, Division of Antimicrobial Resistance, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | | | - Derek R. MacFadden
- Department of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada,The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Nick Daneman
- Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada,Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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13
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Antibiotic Utilization during COVID-19: Are We Over-Prescribing? Antibiotics (Basel) 2023; 12:antibiotics12020308. [PMID: 36830218 PMCID: PMC9952319 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics12020308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The aims of this study were to analyze the utilization of antibiotics before (2018, 2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020) and the practice of prescribing antibiotics in outpatient settings for COVID-19 patients during the 2020-2022 period. The Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical Classification/Defined Daily Dose methodology was used for the analysis of outpatient antibiotic utilization in the Republic of Srpska. The data was expressed in DDD/1000 inhabitants/day. The rate of antibiotics prescribed to COVID-19 outpatients was analyzed using medical record data from 16,565 patients registered with B34.2, U07.1, and U07.2 World Health Organization International Classification of Diseases 10th revision codes. During 2020, outpatient antibiotic utilization increased by 53.80% compared to 2019. At least one antibiotic was prescribed for 91.04%, 83.05%, and 73.52% of COVID-19 outpatients during 2020, 2021, and the first half of 2022, respectively. On a monthly basis, at least one antibiotic was prescribed for more than 55% of COVID-19 outpatients. The three most commonly prescribed antibiotics were azithromycin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and doxycycline. The trend of repurposing antibiotics for COVID-19 and other diseases treatment might be a double-edged sword. The long-term effect of this practice might be an increase in antimicrobial resistance and a loss of antibiotic effectiveness.
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14
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Fukuda A, Otake S, Kimura M, Natsuki A, Ishida A, Kasai M. Trend of oral antimicrobial use after removal of broad-spectrum antimicrobials from the formulary at a pediatric primary emergency medical center. J Infect Chemother 2023; 29:502-507. [PMID: 36621765 DOI: 10.1016/j.jiac.2023.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 12/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION While the effects of the Japanese action plan formulated in 2016 have gradually appeared, the appropriate use of antimicrobials in outpatient settings is still important. We conducted a previous study to recommend appropriate antimicrobial use via monthly newsletters at a pediatric primary emergency medical center (PEC). As a result, the rate of inappropriate prescription of oral third-generation cephalosporins (3GCs) decreased by 67.2%. This decrease prompted our institution to change the antimicrobials adopted from 3GCs to first-generation cephalosporins. There have been no reports on the prescribing trend of narrow-spectrum antimicrobials after the discontinuation of 3GCs in pediatric PECs. METHODS We conducted a single-center, observational study at one pediatric PEC between April 2020 and March 2022. We recorded the total number of patients and oral antimicrobial prescriptions, diagnoses, and descriptions of the electronic health records and evaluated the prescription trends and appropriateness of antimicrobial use after removal of cefditoren-pivoxil and fosfomycin from the formulary. RESULTS The total number of patients was 22,744 during the study period, and antimicrobials were prescribed to 496 (2.2%) patients. The proportion of amoxicillin prescriptions among total antimicrobials was high (53.4%). For each prescription, 85 of 259 prescriptions (32.8%) for amoxicillin, 161 of 185 prescriptions (87.0%) for cephalexin, and 17 of 43 prescriptions (39.5%) for clarithromycin were judged to be appropriate. CONCLUSION We suggest that after the removal of broad-spectrum antimicrobials and achieving a reduction in the prescription rate of oral antimicrobials, it is necessary to evaluate whether narrow-spectrum antimicrobials are used properly in pediatric PECs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akiko Fukuda
- Department of Pediatrics, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan
| | - Shogo Otake
- Division of Infectious Disease, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Hyogo, Japan; Center for Field Epidemic Intelligence, Research and Professional Development, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Tokyo, Japan.
| | - Makoto Kimura
- Department of Pharmacy, Kobe Children's Primary Emergency Medical Center, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Akane Natsuki
- Division of Infectious Disease, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Akihito Ishida
- Kobe Children's Primary Emergency Medical Center, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Masashi Kasai
- Division of Infectious Disease, Hyogo Prefectural Kobe Children's Hospital, Hyogo, Japan
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15
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Kitagawa D, Kitano T, Furumori M, Suzuki S, Shintani Y, Nishikawa H, Suzuki R, Yamamoto N, Onaka M, Nishiyama A, Kasamatsu T, Shiraishi N, Suzuki Y, Nakano A, Nakano R, Yano H, Maeda K, Yoshida S, Nakamura F. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and multiplex polymerase chain reaction test on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for pediatric respiratory infection. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0278932. [PMID: 36595501 PMCID: PMC9810151 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the impact of the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions for pediatric respiratory infections at an acute care hospital in Japan in order to direct future pediatric outpatient antibiotic stewardship. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the FilmArray Respiratory Panel (RP) on outpatient antibiotic prescriptions was assessed from January 2019 to December 2021 using an interrupted time series analysis of children <20 years. The overall antimicrobial prescription rate decreased from 38.7% to 22.4% from the pre-pandemic period to the pandemic. The pandemic (relative risk [RR] level, 0.97 [0.58-1.61]; P = 0.90; RR slope, 1.05 [0.95-1.17] per month; P = 0.310) and FilmArray RP (RR level, 0.90 [0.46-1.75]; P = 0.75; RR slope, 0.95 [0.85-1.06] per month; P = 0.330) had no significant effect on the monthly antibiotic prescription rates. The COVID-19 pandemic was not significantly related to the antibiotic prescription rate, suggesting that it did not impact physicians' behavior toward antibiotic prescriptions. Replacing rapid antigen tests with the FilmArray RP introduced on December 1, 2020, did not affect the magnitude of the reduction in antibiotic prescription rate for pediatric respiratory infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Kitagawa
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
- * E-mail: (DK); (TK)
| | - Taito Kitano
- Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America
- * E-mail: (DK); (TK)
| | - Madoka Furumori
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Soma Suzuki
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Yui Shintani
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Hiroki Nishikawa
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Rika Suzuki
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Naohiro Yamamoto
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Masayuki Onaka
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Atsuko Nishiyama
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Takehito Kasamatsu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Naoyuki Shiraishi
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Yuki Suzuki
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Akiyo Nakano
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Ryuichi Nakano
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Hisakazu Yano
- Department of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Nara, Japan
| | - Koichi Maeda
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Sayaka Yoshida
- Department of Pediatrics, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
| | - Fumihiko Nakamura
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Nara Prefecture General Medical Center, Nara, Japan
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16
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Antibiotic use in township hospitals during the COVID-19 pandemic in Shandong, China. Antimicrob Resist Infect Control 2022; 11:164. [PMID: 36566210 PMCID: PMC9789504 DOI: 10.1186/s13756-022-01206-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The overuse of antibiotics in primary healthcare settings (PHSs) has caused a serious public health problem in China. The outbreak of the Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) pandemic brought about dramatic changes in the supply of and demand for medical services in PHSs, possibly resulting in unprecedented changes in antibiotic use. OBJECTIVE This study aims to assess the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the changes in antibiotic consumption in PHSs. METHOD The data on antibiotic consumption were collected from selected township hospitals in Shandong, China from January 2019 to December 2021. Antibiotic consumption was quantified by using the defined daily doses (DDDs) and the WHO Access, Watch, Reserve category. A segmented regression model was established to analyze the immediate and long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on antibiotic use by using the interrupted time series analysis. RESULTS The overall antibiotic consumption in all PHSs decreased by 32.04% and 16.69% in 2020 and 2021 respectively compared to the corresponding period in 2019. Over the entire study period, the use of penicillins (J01C) and cephalosporins (J01D) accounted for more than 50% of the total antibiotic consumption. The average annual consumption of Watch category antibiotics decreased by 42.02% and 33.47% in 2020 and 2021 respectively compared to that in 2019. According to the interrupted time series analysis, the total antibiotic consumption decreased significantly immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak (coef. = - 2.712, p = 0.045), but it then increased significantly over a long-term (coef. = 0.205, p = 0.005). Additionally, the consumption of Access category antibiotics increased significantly in PHSs in the long-term (coef. = 0.136, p = 0.018). However, the consumption of Watch category antibiotics declined sharply immediately after the pandemic (coef. = - 1.222, p < 0.001), but then it increased slightly over a long-term (coef. = 0.073, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION The extensive use of penicillin and cephalosporins should be of great concern. After the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, the total antibiotic consumption decreased generally and the use pattern was improved to some extent in the PHSs in Shandong, China. This provides an opportunity for improving the misuse of antibiotics in PHSs in China.
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17
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Jaffal K, Bouchand F, Lawrence C, Mascitti H, Duran C, Annane D, Dinh A. Antibiotic Consumption and Bacterial Resistance Rates in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients: A Retrospective Study During the 3 First Surges. Open Forum Infect Dis 2022; 10:ofac680. [PMID: 36628056 PMCID: PMC9825195 DOI: 10.1093/ofid/ofac680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In our hospital, during COVID-19 pandemic, overall consumption of antibiotics increased during the three first surges, mainly due to ICU prescription However, antibiotic consumption decreased in the Infectious Diseases Department. Rates of ESBL Enterobacterales remained stable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karim Jaffal
- Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Frédérique Bouchand
- Pharmacy, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Christine Lawrence
- Microbiological Department, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Hélène Mascitti
- Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Clara Duran
- Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Djillali Annane
- Intensive Care Unit, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, Paris Saclay University, Assistance Publique–Hôpitaux de Paris, Garches, France
| | - Aurélien Dinh
- Correspondence: Aurélien Dinh, MD, PhD, Infectious Disease Department, University Hospital Raymond-Poincaré, AP-HP Paris Saclay University, 104 Bd R. Poincaré, 92380 Garches, France ()
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18
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DePina A, Barros H, Tiffany A, Stresman G. Sustaining surveillance as an intervention during the COVID-19 pandemic in Cabo Verde and implications for malaria elimination. Front Immunol 2022; 13:956864. [PMID: 36275761 PMCID: PMC9582766 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.956864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 09/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Cabo Verde reported the first case of COVID-19 on March 19, 2020. Containment measures were quickly implemented and over 80,000 COVID-19 tests were performed in 2020 with 11,840 confirmed infections (2% of the population) and 154 deaths. In a setting where the last locally acquired malaria case was reported in January 2018, any interruptions to malaria care-seeking have the potential for infections to go untreated and transmission re-establishing. This work aims to determine whether there was any change in the number of people seeking care or being tested for malaria and, using an interrupted time series analysis, identify if any change was associated with implemented COVID-19 measures. Routinely collected surveillance data for outpatient visits, testing for malaria and COVID-19 were aggregated by month for each health facility (outpatient and malaria) or by municipality (COVID-19) from 2017 through 2020. The timeline of COVID-19 measures was generated based on when and where they were implemented. Results show that there was a marked shift in care-seeking in Cabo Verde. Overall, the mean number of observed outpatient visits decreased from 2,057 visits per month during 2017-2019 to 1,088 in 2020, an estimated 28% reduction. However, malaria testing rates per 1,000 outpatient visits after the pandemic began increased by 8% compared to expected trends. Results suggest that the pandemic impacted care-seeking but led to a non-significant increase in testing for malaria per 1,000 outpatient visits. With the cessation of international travel, the risk of imported infections seeding new transmission declined suggesting the risk of undetected transmission was low. It is important for countries to understand their specific malaria risks and vulnerabilities in order to ensure that any progress towards the interruption of malaria transmission can be sustained.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adilson DePina
- Programa de Eliminação do Paludismo, CCS-SIDA, Ministério da Saúde, Praia, Cabo Verde
- Ecole Doctorale Sciences de la Vie, de la Santé et de l’Environnement - Université Cheikh Anta Diop, Dakar, Senegal
| | - Helga Barros
- Unidade de Estatística, Delegacia de Saúde da Praia, Praia, Cabo Verde
| | - Amanda Tiffany
- Global Malaria Programme, World Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Gillian Stresman
- Department of Infection Biology, Faculty of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Epidemiology Department, College of Public Health, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
- *Correspondence: Gillian Stresman, ;
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19
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Singulani JL, Silva DL, Lima CM, Magalhães VCR, Baltazar LM, Peres NTA, Caligiorne RB, Moura AS, Santos ARO, Fereguetti T, Martins JC, Rabelo LF, Lyon AC, Johann S, Falcão JP, Santos DA. The impact of COVID-19 on antimicrobial prescription and drug resistance in fungi and bacteria. Braz J Microbiol 2022; 53:1925-1935. [PMID: 36087244 PMCID: PMC9463970 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-022-00818-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Secondary infections are one of the complications in COVID-19 patients. We aimed to analyze the antimicrobial prescriptions and their influence on drug resistance in fungi and bacteria isolated from severely ill COVID-19 patients. Seventy-nine severely ill COVID-19 hospitalized patients with secondary bacterial or fungal infections were included. We analyzed the prescribed antimicrobial regimen for these patients and the resistance profiles of bacterial and fungal isolates. In addition, the association between drug resistance and patients’ outcome was analyzed using correlation tests. The most prescribed antibacterial were ceftriaxone (90.7% of patients), vancomycin (86.0%), polymyxin B (74.4%), azithromycin (69.8%), and meropenem (67.4%). Micafungin and fluconazole were used by 22.2 and 11.1% of patients, respectively. Multidrug-resistant (MDR) infections were a common complication in severely ill COVID-19 patients in our cohort since resistant bacteria strains were isolated from 76.7% of the patients. Oxacillin resistance was observed in most Gram-positive bacteria, whereas carbapenem and cephalosporin resistance was detected in most Gram-negative strains. Azole resistance was identified among C. glabrata and C. tropicalis isolates. Patients who used more antimicrobials stayed hospitalized longer than the others. The patient’s age and the number of antibacterial agents used were associated with the resistance phenotype. The susceptibility profile of isolates obtained from severely ill COVID-19 patients highlighted the importance of taking microbial resistance into account when managing these patients. The continuous surveillance of resistant/MDR infection and the rational use of antimicrobials are of utmost importance, especially for long-term hospitalized patients with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junya L Singulani
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Danielle L Silva
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Caroline M Lima
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Vanessa C R Magalhães
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ludmila M Baltazar
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Nalu T A Peres
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Rachel B Caligiorne
- Center of Post-Graduation and Research - IEP, Hospital Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alexandre S Moura
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Center of Post-Graduation and Research - IEP, Hospital Santa Casa de Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Raquel O Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Tatiani Fereguetti
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana C Martins
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Lívia F Rabelo
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana C Lyon
- Hospital Eduardo de Menezes, Fundação Hospitalar Do Estado de Minas Gerais (FHEMIG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Susana Johann
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Juliana P Falcão
- Faculdade de Ciências Farmacêuticas de Ribeirão Preto, Universidade de São Paulo-USP, Ribeirao Preto, Sao Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel A Santos
- Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Antonio Carlos, 6627, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil.
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20
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Kiarie H, Temmerman M, Nyamai M, Liku N, Thuo W, Oramisi V, Nyaga L, Karimi J, Wamalwa P, Gatheca G, Mwenda V, Ombajo LA, Thumbi SM. The COVID-19 pandemic and disruptions to essential health services in Kenya: a retrospective time-series analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2022; 10:e1257-e1267. [PMID: 35961349 PMCID: PMC9363041 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(22)00285-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 06/16/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Public health emergencies can disrupt the provision of and access to essential health-care services, exacerbating health crises. We aimed to assess the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on essential health-care services in Kenya. METHODS Using county-level data routinely collected from the health information system from health facilities across the country, we used a robust mixed-effect model to examine changes in 17 indicators of essential health services across four periods: the pre-pandemic period (from January, 2018 to February, 2020), two pandemic periods (from March to November 2020, and February to October, 2021), and the period during the COVID-19-associated health-care workers' strike (from December, 2020 to January, 2021). FINDINGS In the pre-pandemic period, we observed a positive trend for multiple indicators. The onset of the pandemic was associated with statistically significant decreases in multiple indicators, including outpatient visits (28·7%; 95% CI 16·0-43·5%), cervical cancer screening (49·8%; 20·6-57·9%), number of HIV tests conducted (45·3%; 23·9-63·0%), patients tested for malaria (31·9%; 16·7-46·7%), number of notified tuberculosis cases (26·6%; 14·7-45·1%), hypertension cases (10·4%; 6·0-39·4%), vitamin A supplements (8·7%; 7·9-10·5%), and three doses of the diphtheria, tetanus toxoid, and pertussis vaccine administered (0·9%; 0·5-1·3%). Pneumonia cases reduced by 50·6% (31·3-67·3%), diarrhoea by 39·7% (24·8-62·7%), and children attending welfare clinics by 39·6% (23·5-47·1%). Cases of sexual violence increased by 8·0% (4·3-25·0%). Skilled deliveries, antenatal care, people with HIV infection newly started on antiretroviral therapy, confirmed cases of malaria, and diabetes cases detected were not significantly affected negatively. Although most of the health indicators began to recover during the pandemic, the health-care workers' strike resulted in nearly all indicators falling to numbers lower than those observed at the onset or during the pre-strike pandemic period. INTERPRETATION The COVID-19 pandemic and the associated health-care workers' strike in Kenya have been associated with a substantial disruption of essential health services, with the use of outpatient visits, screening and diagnostic services, and child immunisation adversely affected. Efforts to maintain the provision of these essential health services during a health-care crisis should target the susceptible services to prevent the exacerbation of associated disease burdens during such health crises. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Kiarie
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Marleen Temmerman
- Centre of Excellence in Women and Child Health, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Mutono Nyamai
- Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Paul G Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Nzisa Liku
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya; Paul G Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Wangari Thuo
- Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Violet Oramisi
- National AIDS and STIs Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Lilly Nyaga
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Janette Karimi
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Gladwell Gatheca
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Valerian Mwenda
- Division of Monitoring and Evaluation, Ministry of Health, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Loice Achieng Ombajo
- Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Department of Clinical Medicine and Therapeutics, College of Health Sciences, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - S M Thumbi
- Centre for Epidemiological Modelling and Analysis, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Institute of Tropical and Infectious Diseases, University of Nairobi, Nairobi, Kenya; Paul G Allen School for Global Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA; Institute of Immunology and Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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21
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Elligsen M, Wan M, Lam PW, Lo J, Taggart LR, Chan AJ, Downing M, Gough K, Seah J, Leung E. Trends in hospital antibiotic utilization during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic: A multicenter interrupted time-series analysis. ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP & HEALTHCARE EPIDEMIOLOGY : ASHE 2022; 2:e128. [PMID: 36483375 PMCID: PMC9726493 DOI: 10.1017/ash.2022.268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2022] [Revised: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe the evolution of respiratory antibiotic prescribing during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic across 3 large hospitals that maintained antimicrobial stewardship services throughout the pandemic. DESIGN Retrospective interrupted time-series analysis. SETTING A multicenter study was conducted including medical and intensive care units (ICUs) from 3 hospitals within a Canadian epicenter for COVID-19. METHODS Interrupted time-series analysis was used to analyze rates of respiratory antibiotic utilization measured in days of therapy per 1,000 patient days (DOT/1,000 PD) in medical units and ICUs. Each of the first 3 waves of the pandemic were compared to the baseline. RESULTS Within the medical units, use of respiratory antibiotics increased during the first wave of the pandemic (rate ratio [RR], 1.76; 95% CI, 1.38-2.25) but returned to the baseline in waves 2 and 3 despite more COVID-19 admissions. In ICU, the use of respiratory antibiotics increased in wave 1 (RR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.16-1.46) and wave 2 of the pandemic (RR, 1.21; 95% CI, 1.11-1.33) and returned to the baseline in the third wave, which had the most COVID-19 admissions. CONCLUSIONS After an initial surge in respiratory antibiotic prescribing, we observed the normalization of prescribing trends at 3 large hospitals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend may have been due to the timely generation of new research and guidelines developed with frontline clinicians, allowing for the active application of new research to clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Elligsen
- Department of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Michael Wan
- Department of Pharmacy, St Joseph’s Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Philip W. Lam
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jennifer Lo
- Department of Pharmacy, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Linda R. Taggart
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - April J. Chan
- Department of Pharmacy, St Joseph’s Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mark Downing
- Division of Infectious Diseases, St Joseph’s Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Kevin Gough
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jenny Seah
- Department of Pharmacy, St Joseph’s Health Centre, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Elizabeth Leung
- Department of Pharmacy, St Michael’s Hospital, Unity Health Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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22
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A Time Series Analysis Evaluating Antibiotic Prescription Rates in Long-Term Care during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Alberta and Ontario, Canada. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11081001. [PMID: 35892391 PMCID: PMC9330385 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11081001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic affected access to care, and the associated public health measures influenced the transmission of other infectious diseases. The pandemic has dramatically changed antibiotic prescribing in the community. We aimed to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting control measures on oral antibiotic prescribing in long-term care facilities (LTCFs) in Alberta and Ontario, Canada using linked administrative data. Antibiotic prescription data were collected for LTCF residents 65 years and older in Alberta and Ontario from 1 January 2017 until 31 December 2020. Weekly prescription rates per 1000 residents, stratified by age, sex, antibiotic class, and selected individual agents, were calculated. Interrupted time series analyses using SARIMA models were performed to test for changes in antibiotic prescription rates after the start of the pandemic (1 March 2020). The average annual cohort size was 18,489 for Alberta and 96,614 for Ontario. A significant decrease in overall weekly prescription rates after the start of the pandemic compared to pre-pandemic was found in Alberta, but not in Ontario. Furthermore, a significant decrease in prescription rates was observed for antibiotics mainly used to treat respiratory tract infections: amoxicillin in both provinces (Alberta: −0.6 per 1000 LTCF residents decrease in weekly prescription rate, p = 0.006; Ontario: −0.8, p < 0.001); and doxycycline (−0.2, p = 0.005) and penicillin (−0.04, p = 0.014) in Ontario. In Ontario, azithromycin was prescribed at a significantly higher rate after the start of the pandemic (0.7 per 1000 LTCF residents increase in weekly prescription rate, p = 0.011). A decrease in prescription rates for antibiotics that are largely used to treat respiratory tract infections is in keeping with the lower observed rates for respiratory infections resulting from pandemic control measures. The results should be considered in the contexts of different LTCF systems and provincial public health responses to the pandemic.
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23
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Changes in the Profile of Antibiotic Prescriptions by Dentists in Brazil during the Pandemic. Int J Dent 2022; 2022:6570812. [PMID: 35685911 PMCID: PMC9172209 DOI: 10.1155/2022/6570812] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic, people worldwide, including the scientific community, were insecure and fearful. The lack of vaccines at the beginning of the pandemic and the high mortality rate led to a search for alternative treatments for COVID-19. Among these proposals, a postulated activity of azithromycin was frequently studied in early treatment. In view of this, many countries saw an increase in the consumption of this antibiotic. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate, in Brazil, whether there was an increase in azithromycin prescriptions made by dentists, as they may have been prescribing this antibiotic as a probable treatment for COVID-19. This is an interrupted time series that analyzed antimicrobial prescriptions data between January 2014 and July 2021. The data were taken from the National System of Controlled Products Management, and pre- and postpandemic periods were compared. To assess changes in azithromycin consumption, Joinpoint regression and analysis of variance, followed by Dunnett’s test, were used. More than 38 million prescriptions written during the period were analyzed. Amoxicillin (72.3%), azithromycin (18.0%), cephalexin (6.1%), and metronidazole (3.58%) were the most prescribed antibiotics. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a drop in amoxicillin prescriptions motivated by a decrease in consultations, but conversely, in less than three months, azithromycin prescriptions grew by more than 100%. The exaggerated use of this antibiotic during the pandemic will certainly have consequences in the short and medium term on indicators of bacterial resistance. The use of guidelines and respect for the therapeutic protocols of government agencies should be fundamental for collective and strategic action in the fight against health emergencies.
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Outpatient Antibiotic Prescriptions in France: Patients and Providers Characteristics and Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Antibiotics (Basel) 2022; 11:antibiotics11050643. [PMID: 35625287 PMCID: PMC9137595 DOI: 10.3390/antibiotics11050643] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 05/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In France, despite several successive plans to control antimicrobial resistance, antibiotic use remains high in the outpatient setting. This study aims to better understand outpatient antibiotic use and prescription in order to identify tailored targets for future public health actions. Using data from the French National Health Data System, we described and compared the individual characteristics of patients with and without an antibiotic prescription. The prescribed antibiotics (ATC-J01) were detailed and compared between 2019 and 2020. Antibiotic prescribing indicators that take prescriber activity into account were estimated and compared. Patients who were female, advanced age, and the presence of comorbidities were associated with antibiotic prescriptions. The overall prescription rate was estimated at 134 per 1000 consultations and 326 per 1000 patients seen in 2019. General practitioners (GPs), dentists and paediatricians were associated with 78.0%, 12.2% and 2.2% of antibiotic prescriptions, respectively, with high prescription rates (391, 447, and 313 p. 1000 patients seen, respectively). In comparison with 2019, this rate decreased in 2020 for paediatricians (−30.4%) and GPs (−17.9%) whereas it increased among dentists (+17.9%). The reduction was twice as high among the male prescribers than among their female counterparts (−26.6 and −12.0, respectively). The reduction in prescriptions observed in 2020 (−18.2%) was more marked in children (−35.8%) but less so among individuals ≥65 years (−13.1%) and those with comorbidities (−12.5%). The decrease in penicillin prescriptions represents 67.3% of the overall reduction observed in 2020. The heterogeneous decrease in prescriptions by age and antibiotic class could be explained by the impact of COVID-19 control measures on the spread of respiratory viruses; thus, a substantial proportion of the prescriptions avoided in 2020 is likely inappropriate, particularly among children. In order to keep the rate of prescriptions comparable to that observed in 2020, male prescribers, paediatricians and GPs should be encouraged to maintain that level, while a campaign to raise awareness of the appropriate use of antibiotics should be aimed at dentists in particular.
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25
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Givon-Lavi N, Danino D, van der Beek BA, Sharf A, Greenberg D, Ben-Shimol S. Disproportionate reduction in respiratory vs. non-respiratory outpatient clinic visits and antibiotic use in children during the COVID-19 pandemic. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:254. [PMID: 35524208 PMCID: PMC9073498 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03315-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2021] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The COVID-19 pandemic led to improved hygiene and reduced social encounters. Near elimination of the activity of respiratory syncytial virus and influenza viruses were observed, worldwide. Therefore, we assessed the rates of pediatric outpatient clinic visits and medications prescribed at those visits during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and pre-COVID-19 period (2016–2019). Methods Monthly and annual incidence rates for respiratory and non-respiratory diagnoses and dispensed prescription rates were calculated. Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) visits were analyzed separately since the mode of transmission is influenced by hygiene and social distancing. Results Overall, 5,588,702 visits were recorded. Respiratory and AGE visits declined by 49.9% and 47.3% comparing the COVID-19 and pre-COVID-19 periods. The respective rate reductions for urinary tract infections, trauma, and skin and soft tissue infections were 18.2%, 19.9%, and 21.8%. Epilepsy visits increased by 8.2%. Overall visits rates declined by 21.6%. Dispensed prescription rates of antibiotics and non-antibiotics respiratory medications declined by 49.3% and 44.4%, respectively. The respective declines for non-respiratory antibiotics and non-antibiotics were 15.1% and 0.2%. Clinic visits and prescription rates reductions were highest in April–May, following the first lockdown in Israel. Conclusions COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a substantial reduction in respiratory outpatient clinic visits and dispensed respiratory drugs, with only a mild reduction seen for non-respiratory visits. These trends were probably driven by COVID-19 mitigation measures and by the profound disruption to non-SARS COV-2 respiratory virus activity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12887-022-03315-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noga Givon-Lavi
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Dana Danino
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel. .,The Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
| | | | - Amir Sharf
- Economics and Data Analysis Department, Clalit HMO South District, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - David Greenberg
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
| | - Shalom Ben-Shimol
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel.,The Pediatric Infectious Disease Unit, Soroka University Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel
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26
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Belleudi V, Finocchietti M, Fortinguerra F, Di Filippo A, Trotta F, Davoli M, Addis A. Drug Prescriptions in the Outpatient Management of COVID-19: Evidence-Based Recommendations Versus Real Practice. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:825479. [PMID: 35401220 PMCID: PMC8988061 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.825479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Evidence-based recommendations for outpatient management of COVID-19 were published by the Italian Medicines Agency (AIFA) to limit the use of off-label treatments. The aim of this study is to measure the use of outpatient drug treatments in a COVID-19-positive population, taking into account the Italian regulatory agency’s advices. Methods: A descriptive observational study was conducted. All patients testing positive for COVID-19 residing in Lazio region, Italy, with diagnosis date between March 2020 and May 2021 were selected, and outpatient medicine prescription patterns were identified. Results: Independent of AIFA recommendations, the use of drug therapy in the management of outpatient COVID-19 cases was frequent (about one-third of the cases). The most used drug therapy was antibiotics, specifically azithromycin, despite the negative recommendation of AIFA, while the use of corticosteroids increased after the positive recommendation of regulatory agency for the use in subjects with severe COVID-19 disease. The use of hydroxychloroquine was limited to the early pandemic period where evidence on its potential benefit was controversial. Antithrombotics were widely used in outpatient settings, even if their use was recommended for hospitalized patients. Conclusion: In this study, we show a frequent use of drug therapy in the management of outpatient cases of COVID-19, mainly attributable to antibiotics use. Our research highlights the discrepancy between recommendations for care and clinical practice and the need for strategies to bridge gaps in evidence-informed decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valeria Belleudi
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
- *Correspondence: Valeria Belleudi,
| | | | | | | | | | - Marina Davoli
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
| | - Antonio Addis
- Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy
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