Antibiotics for Patients With a Planned Re-Laparotomy for Intra-Abdominal Infection.

Background: Appropriate antimicrobial therapy for the management of intra-abdominal infection (IAI) continues to evolve based on available literature. The Study to Optimize Peritoneal Infection Therapy (STOP-IT) trial provided evidence to support four days of antibiotic agents in IAI post-source control but excluded patients with a planned re-laparotomy. This study aimed to determine the short- and long-term recurrent infection risk in this population. Patients and Methods: This is a single-center, retrospective, observational study of adult patients admitted to a quaternary medical center between January 1, 2016, and August 1, 2022, with IAI requiring planned laparotomy. Patients were designated as receiving five or less days of antibiotic agents (short course) or more than five days (long course) after source control. The primary outcome was IAI recurrence within 30 days. Results: Of the 104 patients who met inclusion criteria, 78 were included in analysis. Average age was 57 ± 13.3 years, 56% were male, 94% Caucasian, with a mean Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation (APACHE) II score of 17 ± 7.09. All other baseline characteristics and clinical severity markers were similar between the two groups. Regarding the primary outcome of IAI recurrence, there was no difference when comparing those who received short course versus those who received long course therapy (41.2% vs. 44.4%; p = 0.781). No differences were found between groups with respect to secondary outcomes. Conclusions: In patients admitted with IAI managed with planned re-laparotomy those who received short course antimicrobial therapy were not found to have an increase in IAI recurrence compared to those with longer courses of therapy.

Surgical Infection Society Guidelines: 2022 Updated Guidelines for Antibiotic Use in Open Extremity Fractures.

Background: Open fractures, defined as fractures communicating with the environment through a skin wound, cause substantial morbidity after traumatic injury. Current evidence supports administration of prophylactic systemic antibiotic agents to patients with open extremity fractures to decrease infectious complications. Methods: The Therapeutic and Guidelines Committee of The Surgical Infection Society convened to revise guidelines for antibiotic use in open fractures. PubMed was queried for pertinent studies. Evaluation of the published evidence was performed using the GRADE framework. All committee members voted to accept or reject each recommendation. Results: In type I or II open extremity fractures, we recommend against administration of extended-spectrum antibiotic coverage compared with gram-positive coverage alone to decrease infections complications, hospital length of stay or mortality. In type III open extremity fractures, we recommend antibiotic therapy for no more than 24 hrs after injury, in the absence of clinical signs of active infection, to decrease infectious complications, hospital length of stay or mortality, and we recommend against extended antimicrobial coverage beyond gram-positive organisms to decrease infectious complications, hospital length of stay or mortality. In type III open extremity fractures with associated bone loss, we recommend antibiotic therapy in addition to systemic therapy to decrease infectious complications. Conclusions: Although antibiotic agents remain a standard of care for infection prevention after open extremity fractures, our findings and surveys of clinical practice patterns clearly show that additional robust clinical trials are needed to provide stronger corroborating evidence.

Evaluation of Antibiotic Duration after Surgical Debridement of Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infection.

Background: Necrotizing soft tissue infection (NSTI) is known to be a medical emergency with high morbidity and mortality. Guidelines do not specify the optimal duration of antibiotic agents after completion of surgical debridements of NSTI, which has created variable practice. It was hypothesized that patients with NSTI who receive 48 hours or less of post-operative antibiotic agents after final debridement have similar rates of subsequent intervention or infection recurrence, suggesting that a shorter duration of antibiotic agents may treat NSTI adequately after final surgical debridement. Patients and Methods: This was a retrospective study including adults with NSTI identified through International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9), International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes admitted to one academic institution between January 1, 2010 and July 31, 2020. Demographics, surgical practices, antibiotic practices, and clinical outcomes including inpatient mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, total antibiotic days, necrotizing infection clinical composite end point (NICCE) success, and infection recurrence were compared based on the duration of antibiotic agents after final debridement. Results: Three hundred twenty-two patients with NSTI were included and baseline characteristics and clinical severity markers were well balanced between the two groups. In 71 patients (22%) who received less than 48 hours of antibiotic agents after final debridement there was no difference in recurrence (1.4% vs. 3.6%; p = 0.697), mortality (1.4% vs. 4.4%; p = 0.476), or ICU LOS (1 vs. 2 days; p = 0.300], but they did have a shorter hospital LOS (7 vs. 10 days; p = 0.011). Conclusions: Shorter duration of antibiotic therapy after final surgical debridement of NSTI may be appropriate in patients without another indication for antibiotic agents.

Asystole Following Concomitant Intravenous Administration of Neostigmine and Dexmedetomidine in a Patient With Acute Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction.

Acute colonic pseudo-obstruction (ACPO) is a condition characterized by acute dilation of the large bowel without evidence of mechanical obstruction that occurs in a variety of hospitalized patients with many predisposing factors. Management includes supportive care and limitation of offending medications with mainstays of treatment of neostigmine administration and colonic decompression. We report the case of a critically ill patient with ACPO who experienced bradycardia and a brief episode of asystole when receiving concomitant dexmedetomidine and neostigmine infusions but who later remained hemodynamically stable when receiving propofol and neostigmine infusions. The bradycardia and associated hemodynamic instability experienced while on dexmedetomidine and neostigmine infusions were rapidly corrected with atropine and cessation of offending agents. Because ACPO is encountered frequently and the use of dexmedetomidine as a sedative agent in the ICU is increasing, practitioners should be aware of the additive risk of bradycardia and potential for asystole with the combination of neostigmine and dexmedetomidine. Electronic drug interaction databases should be updated and drug information sources should include a drug-drug interaction between dexmedetomidine and neostigmine to reduce the likelihood of concomitant administration.

Sleep quality during an overnight on-call program.

PURPOSE: Many institutions deploy pharmacy residents to expand clinical pharmacy services, often in the form of overnight, in-house on-call programs. There is little published evidence regarding pharmacy resident sleep and sleepiness after a night of overnight, in-house on-call activity. A prospective observational cohort study was conducted to determine the relationship between overnight, in-house on-call programs and pharmacy resident sleep and sleep quality. METHODS: The cohort study included both postgraduate year 1 and postgraduate year 2 pharmacy residents. Each resident participated in 10 to 15 overnight on-call shifts. Sleep and sleep quality were assessed using devices worn on residents' wrists on the nights prior to, during, and after on-call shifts. Resident sleepiness was assessed via the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) during specified baseline and postcall periods. Univariate and multivariate analysis were used to assess the relationship between measurements of sleep, sleep quality, and sleepiness. RESULTS: We enrolled a total of 23 residents in the study and recorded data on 269 on-call shifts. Frequently (42.6% of shifts) residents had no time to sleep during overnight on-call shifts. Among those who did have sleep time, the mean sleep time during an overnight, in-house on-call shift was 1.22 (SD, 1.56) hours. Additionally, ESS scores indicated a 2.4-fold increase in sleepiness on the morning after vs the morning before on-call shifts. CONCLUSION: Residents often did not sleep while on call. Sleep periods overnight were short and of poor quality. Predictably, residents reported increased sleepiness after an overnight on-call shift. Residents received an average of approximately 10 clinical consultation calls per overnight shift.

Redefining "bowel regimen": Pharmacologic strategies and nutritional considerations in the management of small bowel fistulas.

Enterocutaneous fistulae (ECF) and enteroatmospheric fistulae (EAF) are difficult complications that primarily arise after abdominal surgical procedures. Development of an ECF or EAF carries significant mortality and morbidity. Effective management of patients with these disease states requires a multidisciplinary approach, which includes surgical, pharmacotherapeutic, and nutritional interventions. This review focuses on the medical and nutritional management of ECF/EAF, providing background on drug agents and nutritional strategies that may be helpful in reducing effluent volume, optimizing fistula healing, and maintaining nutritional health.

Procalcitonin: Usefulness in Acute Care Surgery and Trauma.

BACKGROUND: Procalcitonin (PCT) is a serum biomarker currently suggested by the Surviving Sepsis Campaign to aid in determination of the appropriate duration of therapy in sepsis patients. We review the use of procalcitonin in patients after trauma or acute care surgery. METHOD: A MEDLINE search via PubMed was performed using the combination of "procalcitonin" and "humans" and "injuries, trauma," "wounds and injuries," or "wounds." Studies of burn patients, children, other biomarkers, and non-acute care surgery were excluded. RESULTS: Procalcitonin may be useful in identifying infection in trauma and post-operative acute care surgery. However, heterogenity exists among patients, and surgery and trauma alone elevate PCT even in the absence of infection. CONCLUSIONS: Although trends in PCT concentrations may offer insight, no standard approach can be recommended currently.

Minimizing opioid use after acute major trauma.

PURPOSE: Results of an initiative at an academic medical center to reduce prescription opioid use in patients with acute traumatic injuries are reported. METHODS: In 2014, the University of Kentucky Hospital trauma service implemented a pain management strategy consisting of patient and provider education emphasizing the use of nonopioid analgesics to minimize opioid use without compromising analgesia effectiveness. To assess the impact of the initiative, a retrospective analysis of data on cohorts of patients admitted with acute trauma before (n = 489) and after (n = 424) project implementation was conducted. The primary endpoint was opioid use (prescribed daily milligram morphine equivalents [MME]) at discharge. Secondary endpoints included inpatient opioid and alternative analgesic use, pain control, ileus development, length of stay, and discharge disposition. RESULTS: Compared with the preintervention cohort, the postintervention cohort had a lower median daily discharge MME overall (45 MME versus 90 MME, p < 0.001); after stratification of MME data by baseline opioid use, this finding held true only for patients with no opioid prescription at admission. Although utilization of gabapentinoids, skeletal muscle relaxants, and clonidine increased during the postintervention period, inpatient opioid use did not differ significantly in the 2 cohorts. Utilization of both nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and acetaminophen was lower in the postintervention cohort versus the preintervention cohort. CONCLUSION: Targeted provider and patient education on minimizing opioid use was associated with a reduction in MME on discharge from the hospital after traumatic injury.

Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment for Trauma: Operationalizing the Trauma Quality Improvement Program Directive.

Elderly patients are the fastest growing trauma demographic and present some of the most complicated clinical challenges. This feasibility study employed observational data from a geriatric cohort. Comprehensive geriatric assessments (CGAs) were performed biweekly on eligible patients, 65 years or older, who met screening criteria. Mobility, activities of daily living impairment, frailty, and depression were screened and documented, and along with summative recommendations, were entered into the medical record, communicated to the patient's primary care provider, and discussed with family. From September 1, 2015, to February 1, 2016, 65 comprehensive geriatric assessments were performed, with 2 repeats. Thirty-two (49%) were men. Mean age was 76.9 (range, 65-97) years. Motor vehicle collisions and falls accounted for the majority of trauma mechanisms (52% and 40%, respectively). New action items from the CGA were in 2 main categories: (1) home or inpatient medication changes and (2) additional physical therapist/occupational therapist intervention. Comprehensive geriatric assessment can be successfully organized and performed in centers without a designated geriatric service using standard trauma team members. Objective assessments for functional mobility, activities of daily living, frailty, and depression can be performed easily using current staff and the data easily incorporated into the CGA. Advanced practice providers can feasibly serve as clinical leads even if faculty/residents are unavailable.

Use of Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy for Removal of Dabigatran in a Patient in Need of Emergent Surgery.

Purpose. To report the ability to remove serum dabigatran using continuous renal replacement therapy (CRRT) in a patient with life-threatening bleeding. Summary. A 77-year-old female with history of atrial fibrillation who takes dabigatran for stroke prevention presented with abdominal pain. Patient was found to have bleeding and possible mesenteric ischemia and was taken to the operating room and had continued bleeding postoperatively. CRRT was initiated for the removal of any remaining dabigatran, with serum dabigatran levels collected to evaluate removal of dabigatran with CRRT. This patient had an increased dabigatran level prior to intervention, which decreased to an undetectable level after use of CRRT. Greater than 80% of the drug was removed due to 4 hours of CRRT and residual kidney function. Reversal of dabigatran is an area of current research with recent FDA approval of idarucizumab for use. Conclusion. Bleeding may occur as a result of the use of dabigatran and change in patient's clinical condition. Use of CRRT may be an option in removing serum dabigatran in the case of a life-threatening bleed.

Medication Errors in Cardiopulmonary Arrest and Code-Related Situations.

PubMed/MEDLINE (1966-November 2014) was searched to identify relevant published studies on the overall frequency, types, and examples of medication errors during medical emergencies involving cardiopulmonary resuscitation and related situations, and the breakdown by type of error. The overall frequency of medication errors during medical emergencies, specifically situations related to resuscitation, is highly variable. Medication errors during such emergencies, particularly cardiopulmonary resuscitation and surrounding events, are not well characterized in the literature but may be more frequent than previously thought. Depending on whether research methods included database mining, simulation, or prospective observation of clinical practice, reported occurrence of medication errors during cardiopulmonary resuscitation and surrounding events has ranged from less than 1% to 50%. Because of the chaos of the resuscitation environment, errors in prescribing, dosing, preparing, labeling, and administering drugs are prone to occur. System-based strategies, such as infusion pump policies and code cart management, as well as personal strategies exist to minimize medication errors during emergency situations.

Rectal propranolol controls paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity: a case report.

Paroxysmal sympathetic hyperactivity (PSH) affects approximately 10% of survivors of acquired brain injury and is associated with substantial morbidity. The most effective maintenance therapies include oral ß-blockers and α-2 antagonists. We report the use of rectal propranolol for symptomatic control of PSH in a critically ill patient with an altered gastrointestinal tract for whom oral intake was contraindicated. A 15-year-old Caucasian male with no past medical history was admitted status post all-terrain vehicle rollover with multiple intra-abdominal injuries. On hospital day 40, the patient experienced cardiac arrest with a subsequent anoxic brain injury, which was complicated by the development of PSH on post-arrest day 1. Because of his altered gastrointestinal tract, he was symptomatically managed with propranolol 40 mg per rectum every 6 hours in the form of specially prepared suppositories, intravenously infused morphine and dexmedetomidine, and a transdermal clonidine patch. The patient improved clinically during this treatment and was transferred to a rehabilitation facility. This is the first case report to describe successful use of propranolol suppositories in a clinical environment. This case supports the use of propranolol suppositories as a potential alternative route when oral administration is not possible.

Augmented Renal Clearance in Patients with Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) typically exhibit hyperdynamic cardiovascular hemodynamics, which may lead to increased medication clearance. The aims of this study were to evaluate the actual creatinine clearance (CrClA) in an aneurysmal SAH population and the effect of the development of cerebral vasospasm (CV) along with its treatment to better understand if this population exhibits augmented renal clearance (ARC). METHODS: This was a prospective, single-center study in a neurosciences ICU at a university hospital. A total of 20 patients were consented and provided a 24-h urine sample to measure the CrClA. If patients experienced CV, a 24-h urine collection was repeated during vasospasm treatment. CrClA was measured using a modified Jaffe assay. RESULTS: Among the 20 patients enrolled, the mean SAH CrClA was 325.93 ± 135.20 ml/min 1.73 m(2) and this differed significantly from the SAH estimated creatinine clearance (CrClE) 144.93 ± 42.82 ml/min 1.73 m(2) (p < 0.001). Four patients developed CV; the mean CV CrClA was 558.43 ± 356.12 ml/min 1.73 m(2) and there was no significant difference when compared to those patients' mean SAH CrClA (246.91 ± 84.14 ml/min 1.73 m(2), p = 0.16). CONCLUSIONS: ARC was present in 100 % of the patients with recent SAH enrolled. Although ARC remained present in the patients who experienced CV, their creatinine clearance was not significantly further augmented. Further work is needed to clarify the impact of such clearances on renally excreted medications and how the development and treatment of CV further augment these findings.

Pathophysiology, treatment, and prevention of fluid and electrolyte abnormalities during refeeding syndrome.

Refeeding syndrome may occur after the reintroduction of carbohydrates in chronically malnourished or acutely hypermetabolic patients as a result of a rapid shift to glucose utilization as an energy source. Electrolyte abnormalities of phosphorus, potassium, and magnesium occur, leading to complications of various organ systems, and may result in death. Patients should be screened for risk factors of malnutrition to prevent refeeding syndrome. For those at risk, nutrition should be initiated and slowly advanced toward the patient's goal over several days. Electrolyte disturbances should be aggressively corrected.

Desired professional development pathways for clinical pharmacists.

The 2012 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Certification Affairs Committee was charged with developing guidelines for the desired professional development pathways for clinical pharmacists. This document summarizes recommendations for postgraduate education and training for graduates of U.S. schools and colleges of pharmacy and describes the preferred pathways for achieving, demonstrating, and maintaining competence as clinical pharmacists. After initial licensure within the state or jurisdiction in which the pharmacist intends to practice, completion of an accredited PGY1 pharmacy residency is recommended to further develop the knowledge and skills needed to optimize medication therapy outcomes. An accredited PGY2 pharmacy residency should be completed if a pharmacist wishes to seek employment in a specific therapeutic area or practice setting, if such a residency exists. Clinical pharmacists intending to conduct advanced research that is competitive for federal funding are encouraged to complete a fellowship or graduate education. Initial certification by the Board of Pharmacy Specialties (BPS) or other appropriate sponsoring organizations should be completed in the desired primary therapeutic area or practice setting within 2 years after accepting a position within the desired specific therapeutic area or practice setting. Clinical pharmacists subsequently will need to meet the requirements to maintain pharmacist licensure and board certification. Traineeships, practice-based activities, and certificate programs can be used to obtain additional knowledge and skills that support professional growth. Pharmacists are strongly encouraged to adopt a lifelong, systematic process for professional development and work with ACCP and other professional organizations to facilitate the development and implementation of innovative strategies to assess core practice competencies.