Novel Multidisciplinary Approach for Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Using an Emergency Department Follow-Up Program.

Purpose: Outpatient antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are becoming increasingly prevalent in healthcare. Many programs have demonstrated the effectiveness of pharmacist-driven outpatient consultations or follow-up programs to ensure appropriate antimicrobial prescribing. However, there is a paucity of literature describing multidisciplinary approaches in large healthcare systems for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED). The objective of this study was to describe the feasibility and impact of a combined effort between ASP pharmacotherapy specialists and nurse practitioners (NPs) in managing an ED follow-up center. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted for patients discharged from the ED between January 2018 and June 2019. Patients were identified for inclusion based on documentation by ASP pharmacotherapy specialists in the electronic health record for patient-specific inquiries from ED follow-up center NPs. The primary outcome of this study was to describe the number and types of interventions made by ASP pharmacotherapy specialists. Results: A total of 1088 patients were included in the study, for 1114 documented ASP calls. The urinary tract was the most common source of positive culture (79%), and third-generation cephalosporins were the most frequent antibiotic associated with calls (20%). Out of total calls, 60% lead to ASP interventions. Among total calls, the most frequent interventions were to correct drug-bug mismatches (20%), initiate new therapy (10%), and discontinue therapy (7%). Conclusion: This report describes a novel initiative that combines the efforts of ED NPs and ASP pharmacotherapy specialists in managing an ED follow-up center at a large healthcare system.

Impact of Streptococcus pneumoniae Urinary Antigen Testing in Patients With Community-Acquired Pneumonia Admitted Within a Large Academic Health System.

BACKGROUND: Limited data support use of pneumococcal urinary antigen testing (PUAT) for patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) as an antimicrobial stewardship tool. At our institution, CAP guidelines and admission order set were standardized to include universal PUAT. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of adults hospitalized in 2019 who had PUAT performed. We compared incidence and timing of de-escalation in PUAT- positive vs -negative groups and described patients' outcomes. RESULTS: We evaluated 910 patients, 121 (13.3%) of whom were PUAT positive. No difference in baseline characteristics, including severity of illness, was observed between groups. Initial de-escalation occurred in 82.9% and 81.2% of PUAT-positive and -negative patients, respectively (P = .749). Median time to de-escalation was shorter in the PUAT-positive group (1 [interquartile range {IQR}, 0-2] day vs 1 [IQR, 1-2] day, P = .01). Within 24 hours of PUAT, more patients in the PUAT-positive group had atypical coverage discontinued (61.3% vs 47.2%, P = .026) without difference in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) agent discontinuation (or antipseudomonal de-escalation). Among the PUAT-positive group, unadjusted analysis demonstrated shorter median length of stay in patients who were de-escalated compared to those who were not (6 [IQR, 4-10] vs 8 [IQR, 7-12] days, P = .0005), without difference in the incidence of Clostridioides difficile, in-hospital mortality, or 30-day infection-related readmission. CONCLUSIONS: We observed earlier de-escalation in the PUAT-positive group. This seems to be due to discontinuation of atypical rather than anti-MRSA or antipseudomonal coverage. Further antimicrobial stewardship interventions are warranted.

Outcomes of COVID-19 Patients Hospitalized at Acute Care Services: Real-World Experience in the New York Metropolitan Area During the Early Pandemic Before Initiation of Clinical Trials.

As New York became the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic early on, clinicians were challenged to provide optimal medical and pharmaceutical care, despite the paucity of supporting literature and guidance. We sought to describe prescribing patterns and outcomes of physician response to the urgent need to treat COVID-19 patients before initiation of randomized clinical trials. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of adult patients with COVID-19 initially admitted to acute care services during March 2020. Critically ill patients requiring intensive care unit level of care on admission were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 639 consecutive patients (supportive care, n = 247; treatment n = 392) were included in the analysis. Overall, the 28-day mortality rate was 12.2%. The mortality was 8.7% higher in the treatment group (15.6% vs 6.9% in the supportive care group, P < 0.001). Treatment was not protective against progression to severe disease (18.4% vs 3.6% with supportive care, P < 0.0001). Time to defervescence, duration of oxygen support, and hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay were also higher in the treatment group. In multivariate analysis, 60 years or older, presence of severe disease, and need for ICU admission were identified as independent predictors of 28-day mortality. There were 41 (10.5%) adverse event in the treatment group, with the majority being QT prolongation and gastrointestinal effects. CONCLUSIONS: In this cohort of hospitalized patients admitted to acute care services, treatment with hydroxychloroquine, lopinavir/ritonavir or both could not be shown to improve mortality, progression to severe disease, or clinical response.

Intravenous push versus intravenous piggyback beta-lactams for the empiric management of gram-negative bacteremia.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Nationwide shortages of small-volume parenteral solutions (SVPS) compelled hospitals to develop strategies including the use of intravenous push (IVP) administration of antibiotics to reserve SVPS for absolute necessities. It is unknown if administration of beta-lactam antibiotics (BL) via IVP results in worse clinical outcomes compared to intravenous piggyback (IVPB) due to the potential inability to achieve pharmacodynamic targets. METHODS: Our health-system implemented a mandatory IVP action plan for BL from October 2017 to September 2018. This was a retrospective study of adult patients with GNB who received empiric therapy with IVPB (30 minutes) or IVP (5 minutes) cefepime (FEP) or meropenem (MEM) for at least 2 days. Endpoints included clinical response, microbiological clearance and mortality. All data are presented as n (%) or median (interquartile range). RESULTS: The final cohort included 213 patients (IVPB n = 105, IVP n = 108). The primary source of bacteremia was urinary, with Escherichia coli being the primary pathogen. Escalation of therapy was similar between groups (15 [14%] vs 11 [10%], P = .36) at a median of 3 days (P = .68). No significant differences were observed in any secondary endpoints including microbiological clearance, bacteremia recurrence, time to defervescence, WBC normalization, vasopressor duration or in-hospital mortality. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest no differences in clinical response with the use of IVP compared to IVPB FEP and MEM for treatment of GNB. This form of administration may be considered as a fluid conservation strategy in times of shortage.

Safety of intravenous push administration of beta-lactams within a healthcare system.

PURPOSE: A critical shortage of small-volume parenteral solutions in late 2017 led hospitals to develop strategies to ensure availability for critical patients, including administration of antibiotics as intravenous push (IVP). Minimal literature has been published to date that assesses the safety of administration of beta-lactams via this route. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety of IVP administration of select beta-lactam antibiotics. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of IVP administrations of aztreonam, ceftriaxone, cefepime, and meropenem at two campuses of the New York University Langone Health system after October 2017. Patients receiving surgical prophylaxis or more than one IVP antibiotic simultaneously were excluded. The primary endpoint was adverse events (ADE) following IVP administration of antibiotics. RESULTS: We evaluated 1000 patients who received IVP aztreonam (n = 43), ceftriaxone (n = 544), cefepime (n = 368) or meropenem (n = 45). There were 10 (1%) ADE observed, 5 of which were allergic reactions. Four ADE were neurotoxicity related to IVP cefepime. Based on the Naranjo score, 1 adverse event was "probably" and 3 were "possibly" related to cefepime IVP administration. Lastly, only 1 report of phlebitis was observed with the use of IVP ceftriaxone. CONCLUSIONS: The use of IVP as an alternative to intravenous piggyback (IVPB) during times of drug shortage for select beta-lactam antibiotics appears to be safe, and ADE are similar to those previously described for IVPB administration. Future studies evaluating clinical outcomes between IVP and IVPB administration may be of benefit.

Evaluation of Meropenem Extended Versus Intermittent Infusion Dosing Protocol in Critically Ill Patients.

Extended infusion (EI) administration of ß-lactams can improve target attainment in critically ill patients with altered pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics. To optimize meropenem dosing in patients with severe sepsis/septic shock, our Antimicrobial Stewardship Program implemented a EI meropenem (EIM) protocol in an 18-bed Medical Intensive Care Unit in March 2014. In this retrospective study, we compared intensive care unit (ICU) mortality and clinical response in patients who received meropenem for ≥72 hours administered per EIM protocol of 1 g over 3 hours every 8 hours versus intermittent infusion (IIM) protocol of 500 mg over 30 minutes every 6 hours. Age, weight, comorbidities, severity of illness, and vasopressor use were comparable between groups (EIM protocol n = 52, IIM protocol n = 96). The IIM protocol group had higher rates of renal dose adjustment at meropenem initiation. Among 56 identified gram-negative (GN) pathogens, 94% had meropenem minimal inhibitory concentration ≤0.25 mg/L. The ICU mortality was lower (19 vs 37%; P = .032) and clinical response was higher (83% vs 46%; P < .01) in the EIM protocol versus IIM protocol group. Total vasopressor days were shorter (2 vs 3 days; P = .038), and white blood cell normalization rate was higher (87% vs 51%; P < .01) in the EIM protocol versus IIM protocol group. There was no difference in days of mechanical ventilation, duration of therapy, and ICU stay. The IIM protocol was also identified as an independent risk factor associated with ICU mortality (hazard ratio: 3.653, 95% confidence interval: 1.689-7.981; P = .001) after adjusting for Sequential Organ Failure Assessment score. In this cohort of patients with severe sepsis/septic shock and highly susceptible GN pathogens, there was improved mortality and clinical response in the EIM protocol group.

Nephrotoxicity Associated with Intravenous Polymyxin B Once- versus Twice-Daily Dosing Regimen.

Nephrotoxicity is a known adverse effect of polymyxin B (PMB). Animal data suggest that once-daily dosing may reduce the rate and delay the onset of acute kidney injury (AKI). In a multicenter retrospective study, we evaluated adult patients with a creatinine clearance (CrCl) of ≥30 ml/min who received ≥48 h of PMB therapy. The primary endpoint was the difference in rate of AKI comparing once- and twice-daily PMB dosing. The secondary endpoints included the time to AKI and the recovery of renal function. Of 273 eligible patients, 100 from each group were matched on the basis of propensity scores. In the matched groups, nephrotoxicity, defined according to risk, injury, failure, loss, and end-stage renal disease (RIFLE) criteria, was more frequent with once- than with twice-daily dosing (47% versus 17%, respectively; P = 0.0005). After adjusting for residual differences by multivariate conditional logistic regression, once-daily dosing was more likely to result in nephrotoxicity (adjusted odds ratio, 2.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.413 to 4.541; P = 0.002). Among 64 patients who developed AKI, the median onsets were similar between the groups (7 days with once versus 6 days with twice-daily dosing, P = 0.095). Of 37 patients who had their serum creatinine evaluated subsequently, 29/37 (78%) had recovery of renal function. No patient required renal replacement therapy. Our findings suggest that AKI is significantly more common with PMB once daily than with twice-daily dosing with no difference in time to AKI. A prospective randomized study is warranted to validate these results.

Facial Palsy Masquerading as an Acute Dental Abscess.

Facial nerve palsy has specific symptomology, but varied aetiology. Prompt and thorough assessment is required to ascertain if upper or lower motor neurone damage has occurred. This report discusses a 6-year-old female, presenting in the Emergency Department with unilateral facial weakness. Initially thought to be facial swelling relating to her carious dentition, clinical assessment from the maxillofacial team identified that the patient had a unilateral facial palsy, later diagnosed as Bell's palsy. Her delayed presentation was due to initial misdiagnoses in primary care. This case report aims to highlight its aetiology, clinical features and appropriate management. Clinical relevance: To make the general dental practitioner aware of different causes of facial paralysis, and to provide GDPs with an algorithm to follow in the presentation of a facial palsy in the primary care setting.

Management of facial asymmetry due to overgrowing costochondral graft: A case report.

Costochondral grafts are used to replace the mandibular condyle in cases of TMJ ankylosis, and are generally viewed as a gold standard for autogenous reconstruction of the mandibular condyle (Güven, 2000; Posnick and Goldstein, 1993 [1,2]). We report a case where overgrowth of costochondral grafts is seen, resulting in asymmetric mandibular growth and dentofacial asymmetry (Posnick and Goldstein, 1993 [2]). A 17 year old male patient presented with an existing costochondral graft performed due to TMJ ankylosis during childhood. He fell from a height at the age of 4, and was lost to follow up through non-attendance until the age of 9, when he presented with a progressive reduction in maximal incisal opening (MIO). At this stage his maximal incisal opening was noted to be 11mm, and the CT showed a grossly deformed ankylosed left TMJ. This post traumatic ankyloses was managed with gap arthroplasty and costochondral graft reconstruction. This immediately improved his MIO to 22mm and at 1 year follow up was noted to be 30mm. At age 12 he was noted to have a clinically obvious overgrowth of the left ramus of the mandible, and deviation of the chin point to the right. MIO remained at 38mm. He declined orthognathic surgery and represented 2 years later requesting treatment without orthodontic intervention for his facial asymmetry. He subsequently underwent a Le Fort 1 impaction osteotomy, right BSSO and left condylar ostectomy, coronoidectomy and left lower border mandibulectomy. Regrowth of the CCG occurred during the 6 months of follow up. This case illustrates the problems that can occur after condylar trauma. It also highlights issues with costochondral grafts which can continue to grow.

The Benefit of the Smartphone in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery: Smartphone Use Among Maxillofacial Surgery Trainees and iPhone Apps for the Maxillofacial Surgeon.

The use of smartphones has soared among healthcare professionals in recent years, with estimated figures reporting that the majority of clinicians own and use smartphones in the workplace. Smartphones allow the clinician to carry textbooks in their pocket, write documents on the move and use email and internet to enhance productivity and clinical decision making. These advances in smartphone technology have enabled access to healthcare information for the clinician and transfer of data between team members, giving rise to the phenomenon of telemedicine. With the ability to instantly transfer clinical data to the off-site surgeon, combined with purpose-built medical apps, the smartphone is rapidly becoming an invaluable tool for the modern surgeon. Many studies have linked the benefits of smartphones and apps in other surgical specialities, but no article to date has highlighted the merits and full scope of this technology to the Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon. We report that 94 % of British maxillofacial surgery trainees own a smartphone, with 61 % owning an iPhone. 89 % of trainees questioned had downloaded medical apps and used them regularly during clinical activities. We discuss the clinical application of the smartphone in the field of oral and maxillofacial surgery and review a list of useful and relevant apps for the modern maxillofacial surgeon using the iPhone as an example platform.

Temporomandibular joint multidisciplinary team clinic.

Patients with dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) commonly present to oral and maxillofacial departments and are increasingly being managed by a subspecialist group of surgeons. We review the outcomes of patients attending a specialist TMJ multidisciplinary team (MDT) clinic. All patients are simultaneously reviewed by a consultant oral and maxillofacial surgeon, consultant in oral medicine, specialist physiotherapist, and maxillofacial prosthetist, and they can also see a consultant liaison psychiatrist. They are referred from primary, secondary, and tertiary care when medical and surgical treatment in the routine TMJ clinic has failed, and are triaged by the attending maxillofacial surgeon. On discharge they are returned to the care of the referring practitioner. We review the outcomes of patients attending this clinic over a 2-year period and show improvements in pain scores and maximal incisal opening, as well as quality of life outcome measures. All units in the UK with an interest in the management of diseases of the TMJ should consider establishing this type of clinic and should use available resources and expertise to maximise outcomes.

Concurrent bilateral total temporomandibular joint replacement surgery and conventional maxillary osteotomy utilizing virtual surgical planning web-based technology.

INTRODUCTION: We describe the case of a 31-year-old lady who presented in 1999 with significant temporomandibular joint (TMJ) dysfunction following a previous vertical subsigmoid osteotomy. The previous surgery had displaced both condyles from their glenoid fossae, and a persistent malocclusion resulted. Despite initial conservative management, both condyles remained out of their fossae and she re-presented 10 years later. On presentation, she had significant progressive right TMJ dysfunction with severe pain. A class III malocclusion was apparent with a 5-mm anterior open bite and jaw deviation to the right on mouth opening. Her maximal interincisal opening was 32 mm. The case was prepared using conventional orthodontic treatment, with surgery being remotely planned by a design facility using a web-based virtual planning and design process. The definitive surgery consisted of bilateral condylectomy, coronoidectomy, and bespoke TMJ replacement prostheses. A simultaneous Le Fort I osteotomy was performed with a 4-mm maxillary advancement. RESULTS: A class I occlusion was achieved with full range of movement, and good functional and aesthetic outcomes. CONCLUSION: This case documents one of the first reported cases of bilateral total TMJ replacement surgery performed with a concurrent maxillary osteotomy. It demonstrates the potential of virtual surgical planning and the viability of simultaneous procedures.

Prospective outcome assessment of the therapeutic benefits of arthroscopy and arthrocentesis of the temporomandibular joint.

Patients who fail to respond to routine conservative measures to treat pain, restriction, and locking in the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) may have therapeutic arthroscopy or arthrocentesis, both of which are associated with symptomatic improvement in 86% of patients. To our knowledge there are no current data on improvements in mouth opening and lateral deviations after these procedures. This prospective audit includes 244 patients treated between 2005 and 2010 from one surgeon's practice, who were followed up at least once at 6 weeks after arthroscopy or arthrocentesis. They had various conditions but all had tender joints. Measurements of interincisal opening, left and right lateral excursions, and protrusion were taken before and during operation with callipers (mm). Opening and pain scores were also recorded on 10 cm analogue scales before operation and at 6 weeks. Pain scores improved with intervention from a mean score of 37.1-16.1 (range 0-100). The improvement in mouth opening ranged from 0 to 78% (as some patients had locking or pain with normal opening before operation), and 86% had improved enough to be discharged at 6 weeks. Temporary forehead weakness in two patients resolved within the timescale of the study. The study shows improvements in mouth opening, and confirms that pain scores can be improved after arthroscopy or arthrocentesis when conservative approaches have failed. In the hands of a skilled practitioner, arthroscopy can be a useful diagnostic and therapeutic adjunct, which can be used repeatedly with low morbidity.