Audit of antimicrobial stewardship in medical inpatients in Waikato, New Zealand 2021.

AIMS: Given the threat of rising antimicrobial resistance (AMR), 10 audit standards were selected to audit antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) in secondary care to assess guideline adherence and establish quality improvement initiatives in antimicrobial prescribing. METHODS: Patients were included if they received intravenous (IV) antibiotics across seven medical wards in Waikato or Thames hospitals, New Zealand, in November 2021. Audit standards were defined from the regional antimicrobial prescribing policy and adult antimicrobial guidelines. RESULTS: In total, 205 patients were audited. Microbiological sampling standards were met in 87 of 126 occasions (69.0%). Antimicrobial choices adhered to guidelines in 89 of 163 patients (54.6%), where guidelines were available. Documentation of antimicrobial indications in the medical notes and antimicrobial review at 48 to 72 hours met the standards at over 90%. Only 2 of 13 patients (15.4%) receiving piperacillin/tazobactam or a carbapenem were discussed with Infectious Diseases (ID). Documentation of indications and durations on paper-based medication charts was infrequent, around 12%. Evaluating for health equity, similar results were observed for Maori and non-Maori. CONCLUSIONS: Our audit identified specific areas for AMS quality improvement initiatives. Regular audit should become an essential element of the New Zealand AMS strategy. We believe increased AMS resources are required.

Rates of unsuspected thyroid cancer in multinodular thyroid disease.

BACKGROUND: Previously the risk of concomitant thyroid cancer in multinodular goitre (MNG) has been reported as approximately 4%. Cancer risk in toxic MNG was often considered lower than for non-toxic MNG, due to a possible protective effect of TSH suppression. However, recent American data suggest an approximately 18% risk of occult malignancy in both toxic and non-toxic MNG. AIMS: To assess malignancy risk in a New Zealand population undergoing thyroidectomy for MNG. METHODS: Single-centre study of patients undergoing thyroidectomy for MNG from 1 December 2006 to 30 November 2016. RESULTS: Six hundred and two patients underwent surgery for MNG (448 non-toxic and 154 toxic). Of these, 95/602 (16%) had thyroid cancer. After excluding patients operated for preoperative suspicion for cancer, 30/401 (8%) patients with non-toxic MNG and 15/151 (10%) with toxic MNG had unsuspected or occult thyroid cancer (p=0.358). Patients with toxic MNG were less likely to undergo preoperative fine needle aspiration than those with non-toxic MNG (34% vs 52%, respectively p=0.0001). Two-thirds of unsuspected thyroid cancers were incidental micropapillary carcinomas and unlikely to alter survival irrespective of therapy. CONCLUSION: Malignancy rates in MNG are higher than historically reported, although most unsuspected cancers are unlikely to alter mortality even if diagnosis is delayed.

The management of Graves' disease in New Zealand 2014.

BACKGROUND: Treatment options for Graves' disease (GD), namely anti-thyroid drugs (ATD), surgery or radioiodine (RAI), have not changed over the past two decades. There is no 'gold-standard' treatment for GD. AIMS: To assess whether the management of GD in New Zealand has changed since the previous 1991 New Zealand survey and compare current management with that of contemporary international studies. METHODS: We conducted an online survey of New Zealand physicians currently practising internal medicine, diabetes and/or endocrinology, using the cases and questions from the original European and 1991 New Zealand studies. RESULTS: The first-line use of RAI was 5.5%, compared to 41% in the 1991 New Zealand survey. This corresponded to an increase in ATD use, while the rates of surgery as a first-line treatment have remained static over time. New Zealand physicians use technetium scanning for diagnosis, whereas ultrasound and radioiodine uptake were the most commonly selected investigations by European and North American physicians, respectively. The pattern of ATD use in pregnancy was similar to international practice. CONCLUSION: Treatment of GD in New Zealand has shifted away from the use of RAI as first line treatment. There are significant differences in the investigation and treatment of Grave's disease between New Zealand, Europe and North America.