International survey of antibiotic dosing and monitoring in adult intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: In recent years, numerous dosing studies have been conducted to optimize therapeutic antibiotic exposures in patients with serious infections. These studies have led to the inclusion of dose optimization recommendations in international clinical practice guidelines. The last international survey describing dosing, administration and monitoring of commonly prescribed antibiotics for critically ill patients was published in 2015 (ADMIN-ICU 2015). This study aimed to describe the evolution of practice since this time. METHODS: A cross-sectional international survey distributed through professional societies and networks was used to obtain information on practices used in the dosing, administration and monitoring of vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, meropenem and aminoglycosides. RESULTS: A total of 538 respondents (71% physicians and 29% pharmacists) from 409 hospitals in 45 countries completed the survey. Vancomycin was mostly administered as an intermittent infusion, and loading doses were used by 74% of respondents with 25 mg/kg and 20 mg/kg the most favoured doses for intermittent and continuous infusions, respectively. Piperacillin/tazobactam and meropenem were most frequently administered as an extended infusion (42% and 51%, respectively). Therapeutic drug monitoring was undertaken by 90%, 82%, 43%, and 39% of respondents for vancomycin, aminoglycosides, piperacillin/tazobactam, and meropenem, respectively, and was more frequently performed in high-income countries. Respondents rarely used dosing software to guide therapy in clinical practice and was most frequently used with vancomycin (11%). CONCLUSIONS: We observed numerous changes in practice since the ADMIN-ICU 2015 survey was conducted. Beta-lactams are more commonly administered as extended infusions, and therapeutic drug monitoring use has increased, which align with emerging evidence.

Hollow mesoporous structured molecularly imprinted polymer as adsorbent in pipette-tip solid-phase extraction for the determination of antiretrovirals from plasma of HIV-infected patients.

In this work a hollow mesoporous structured molecularly imprinted polymer was synthetized and used as adsorbent in pipette-tip solid-phase extraction for the determination of lamivudine (3TC), zidovudine (AZT) and efavirenz (EFZ) from plasma of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). All parameters that influence the recovery of the pipette tip based on hollow mesoporous molecularly imprinted polymer solid-phase extraction (PT-HM-MIP-SPE) method were systematically studied and discussed in detail. The adsorbent material was prepared using methacrylic acid and 4-vinylpyridine as functional monomers, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate as crosslinker, acetonitrile as solvent, 4,4'-azobis(4-cyanovaleric acid) as radical initiator, benzalkonium chloride as surfactant, 3TC, and AZT as templates. The simultaneous separation of 3TC, AZT and EFZ by HPLC-UV was performed using a Gemini C18 Phenomenex® column (250 mm × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) and mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile: water pH 3.2 (68:32, v/v), flow rate of 1.0 mL/min and λ = 260 nm. The method was linear over the concentration range from 0.25 to 10 µg/mL for 3TC and EFZ, and 0.05 to 2.0 µg mL-1 for AZT, with correlation coefficients larger than 0.99 for all analytes. Recovery ± relative standard deviations (RSDs %) were 41.99 ± 2.38%, 82.29 ± 1.63%, and 83.72 ± 7.52% for 3TC, AZT, and EFZ, respectively. The RSDs and relative errors (REs) were lower than 15% for intra and interday assays. The method has been successfully applied for monitoring HIV-infected patients outside the therapeutic dosage.

Hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to describe the distribution of the hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil. METHODS: Data were acquired, during 2016, through the Brazilian National Database of Healthcare Facilities (CNES). The following variables were extracted: hospital name, registry number, telephone, e-mail, state, type of institution, subtype, management nature, ownership, presence of research/teaching activities, complexity level, number of hospital beds, presence of pharmacists, number of pharmacists, pharmacist specialization. All statistical analyses were performed by IBM SPSS v.19. RESULTS: The number of hospitals with a complete registry in the national database was 4790. The majority were general hospitals (77.9%), managed by municipalities (66.1%), under public administration (44.0%), had no research/teaching activities (90.5%), classified as medium complexity (71.6%), and had no pharmacist in their team (50.6%). Furthermore, almost 60.0% of hospitals did not comply with the minimum recommendations of having a pharmacist per 50 hospital beds. The Southeast region had the highest prevalence of pharmacists, with 64.4% of hospitals having a pharmaceutical professional. This may have occurred as this region had the highest population to hospital ratio. Non-profit hospitals were more likely to have pharmacists compared to those under public administration and private hospitals. CONCLUSION: This study mapped the hospital pharmacy workforce in Brazil, showing a higher prevalence of hospital pharmacists in the Southeast region, and in non-profit specialized hospitals.

Determining the optimal vancomycin daily dose for pediatrics: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to check which initial dose of vancomycin is needed to achieve the therapeutic target that is currently used in pediatrics. METHODS: The search was conducted in the following data sources: Pubmed (1980-2017), the Cochrane Library, and Embase (1986-2017) and the references of the published studies; searches were performed using the key terms: child, children, pediatrics, infants and adolescents, vancomycin, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. The data extracted from the studies were analyzed and grouped using RevMan V 5.2 software. The confidence interval (CI) 95% and the odds ratio (OR) were calculated considering the Mantel-Haenszel random effect. RESULTS: From the 704 studies identified, 40 revealed eligibility for this review and only 20 presented enough data to be included in the statistical analysis. The articles found in this review were published between 1980 and 2017. The vancomycin doses varied between 40 mg/kg/day to 120 mg/kg/day. The statistical tests demonstrated significant clinical heterogeneity of I2 (84%). CONCLUSIONS: The meta-analysis study revealed in the majority of studies that doses lower than 60 mg/kg/day were not enough to achieve desirable vancomycin plasma concentrations "area under the curve in 24 h/minimum inhibitory concentration >400 (AUC0-24/MIC>400) or trough 10-20 mg/L" to control bacterial infections in pediatrics.

Antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring in critically ill adult patients - An international perspective on access, utilisation, and barriers.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an effective method for individualising antimicrobial therapy in critically ill patients. The 2021 ADMIN-intensive care unit survey studied a wide range of intensive care unit clinicians worldwide to gain their perspectives on antimicrobial TDM. This article reports the responses from this survey relating to TDM access, utilisation, and barriers. METHODS: An online survey consisted of multiple-choice questions and 5-point Likert scales. The survey examined respondent's access to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) results, drug assays, and dosing software, as well as barriers to TDM. RESULTS: The survey included 538 clinicians from 409 hospitals in 45 countries, with 71% physicians and 29% pharmacists. Despite most respondents having access to assays, 21% and 26% of respondents lacked access to vancomycin and aminoglycosides, respectively. In lower-income countries, almost 40% reported no access. Delayed drug assay turnaround time was the most significant barrier to TDM, particularly in lower-income countries. Routine access to MIC results was unavailable for 41% of respondents, with 25% of lower-income country respondents having no access to MIC or susceptibility reports. CONCLUSIONS: This global survey indicated that consistent TDM usage is hindered by assay access in some sites and the timeliness of assay results in others. Addressing barriers to TDM, particularly in low-income countries, should be a priority to ensure equitable access to affordable TDM.

Is the Pharmacokinetics of First-Line Anti-TB Drugs a Cause of High Mortality Rates in TB Patients Admitted to the ICU? A Non-Compartmental Pharmacokinetic Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with tuberculosis (TB) may develop multi-organ failure and require admission to intensive care. In these cases, the mortality rates are as high as 78% and may be caused by suboptimal serum concentrations of first-line TB drugs. This study aims to compare the pharmacokinetics of oral rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol patients in intensive care units (ICU) to outpatients and to evaluate drug serum concentrations as a potential cause of mortality. METHODS: A prospective pharmacokinetic (PK) study was performed in Amazonas State, Brazil. The primary PK parameters of outpatients who achieved clinical and microbiological cure were used as a comparative target in a non-compartmental analysis. RESULTS: Thirteen ICU and twenty outpatients were recruited. The clearance and volume of distribution were lower for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol. ICU thirty-day mortality was 77% versus a cure rate of 89% in outpatients. CONCLUSIONS: ICU patients had a lower clearance and volume of distribution for rifampin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol compared to the outpatient group. These may reflect changes to organ function, impeded absorption and distribution to the site of infection in ICU patients and have the potential to impact clinical outcomes.

Justice judgements, school failure, and adolescent deviant behaviour.

BACKGROUND: The current paper is based on two different approaches. One is the relational model of authority (Tyler & Lind, 1992), which addresses the effects of justice perceptions on the legitimacy of authorities and behavioural compliance. The other is Emler and Reicher's theory (1995, 2005), which explains the involvement of adolescents in delinquency through their relationship with the institutional authorities of society. AIMS: To provide empirical evidence for the linkage of these perspectives, analysing the relationship between justice perceptions about teachers and the involvement of adolescents in deviant behaviour. Our hypotheses are that teachers' justice is negatively related with deviant behaviour and that this relationship is mediated through the evaluation of institutional authorities, after controlling for school failure. SAMPLE: Three hundred and ninety adolescents aged between 14 and 17 years. METHODS: Participants completed the following scales: perceptions of justice about teachers, evaluation of institutional authorities, and deviant behaviour. Data were examined through correlation and bootstrap analyses. RESULTS: Justice judgments about teachers were negatively related with deviant behaviour, and this relationship was partially mediated by the evaluation of institutional authorities, even after controlling for school failure. However, procedural justice revealed a much stronger relationship with deviance, compared to distributive justice. CONCLUSIONS: As predicted, these results suggest that when adolescents perceive school authorities as fair, other institutional authorities are likely to be perceived in a similar way and the more those authorities are positively evaluated, the less often adolescents engage in deviant conduct. Results are discussed according to the theories underlying our hypothesis. Directions for future research are suggested.

Population pharmacokinetic modeling of benznidazole in Brazilian patients with chronic Chagas disease.

The present study aimed to establish a population pharmacokinetic (PopPK) modeling of benznidazole (BZD) in Brazilian patients with chronic Chagas disease. This was part of a Brazilian prospective cohort study with eight patients diagnosed with Chagas disease during the beginning of BZD treatment up to the 60th day. On the 15th day of treatment, a blood sampling was collected and analyzed. A one-compartment PK model was developed using Pmetrics. Patients with an average age of 50.3 (SD: 6.2) years old, 6 female patients and 2 males, 70.2 kg (14.2), receiving a 5 mg/Kg/day dose were included. PK parameters estimated for CL, V and Ka were 6.27 L/h, 38.97 L and 1.66 h-1, respectively. This is the first study to establish a population pharmacokinetic modeling of BZD in Brazilian patients with chronic Chagas disease. Therefore, further studies are needed to obtain the complete characterization of BZD pharmacokinetics.

Population Pharmacokinetic Model of Piperacillin in Critically Ill Patients and Describing Interethnic Variation Using External Validation.

Objectives: This study aimed to develop a piperacillin population PK model for critically ill Brazil-ian patients and describe interethnic variation using an external validation. Methods: Plasma samples were obtained from 24 ICU patients during the fifth day of piperacillin treatment and assayed by HPLC-UV. Population pharmacokinetic modelling was conducted using Pmetrics. Empiric dose of 4 g IV 6- and 8-hourly were simulated for 50 and 100% fT > MIC and the probabil-ity of target attainment (PTA) and the fractional target attainment (FTA) determined. Results: A two-compartment model was designed to describe the pharmacokinetics of critically ill Brazillian patients. Clearance and volume of distribution were (mean ± SD) 3.33 ± 1.24 L h−1 and 10.69 ± 4.50 L, respectively. Creatinine clearance was positively correlated with piperacillin clearance and a high creatinine clearance was associated with lower values of PTA and FTA. An external vali-dation was performed using data from two different ethnic ICU populations (n = 30), resulting in acceptable bias and precision. Conclusion: The primary pharmacokinetic parameters obtained from critically ill Brazilian patients were similar to those observed in studies performed in critically ill patients of other ethnicities. Based on our results, the use of dose adjustment based on creati-nine clearance is required in Brazilian patients.

Is Dosing of Ethambutol as Part of a Fixed-Dose Combination Product Optimal for Mechanically Ventilated ICU Patients with Tuberculosis? A Population Pharmacokinetic Study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU) have high mortality rates. It is uncertain whether the pharmacokinetics of first-line TB drugs in ICU patients are different from outpatients. This study aims to compare the pharmacokinetics of oral ethambutol in TB patients in ICU versus TB outpatients and to determine whether contemporary dosing regimens achieve therapeutic exposures. METHODS: A prospective population pharmacokinetic study of ethambutol was performed in Amazonas State, Brazil. Probability of target attainment was determined using AUC/MIC > 11.9 and Cmax/MIC > 0.48 values. Optimized dosing regimens were simulated at steady state. RESULTS: Ten ICU patients and 20 outpatients were recruited. Ethambutol pharmacokinetics were best described using a two-compartment model with first-order oral absorption. Neither ICU patients nor outpatients consistently achieved optimal ethambutol exposures. The absorption rate for ethambutol was 2-times higher in ICU patients (p < 0.05). Mean bioavailability for ICU patients was >5-times higher than outpatients (p < 0.0001). Clearance and volume of distribution were 93% (p < 0.0001) and 53% (p = 0.002) lower in ICU patients, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: ICU patients displayed significantly different pharmacokinetics for an oral fixed-dose combination administration of ethambutol compared to outpatients, and neither patient group consistently achieved pre-defined therapeutic exposures.

Ideal benznidazole dose regimen in chronic chagasic patients: a systematic review.

The present study aimed to review the existing literature and to evaluate the best dose regimen for benznidazole in adult patients with Chagas disease in the chronic phase. A systematic review was conducted followed by meta-analysis. Searches were performed in four databases, to include studies published until May 2019. The descriptors used were: "Chagas disease", "benznidazole", "Drug Therapy", "Pharmacokinetics", "Dose-response relationship, drug" and "Chronic disease". The meta-analysis compared studies using the standard dose of 5 mg/kg/day for 30 or 60 days. A total of 608 articles were found, 23 of which were considered eligible for this review and nine were included in the meta-analysis. The studies selected and analyzed were published between 1996 and 2018, with various benznidazole dose regimens, ranging from 2.5 mg/kg/day to 10 mg/kg/day, for 30 to 80 days of treatment. The results pointed to a great diversity of dose regimens, thus there is no consensus on the optimal dose regimen for benznidazole in the chronic phase of Chagas disease.

Pharmacokinetic and Pharmacodynamic Characteristics of Vancomycin and Meropenem in Critically Ill Patients Receiving Sustained Low-efficiency Dialysis.

PURPOSE: Antibiotic dosing is challenge in critically ill patients undergoing renal replacement therapy. Our aim was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) characteristics of meropenem and vancomycin in patients undergoing SLED. METHODS: Consecutive ICU patients undergoing SLED and receiving meropenem and/or vancomycin were prospectively evaluated. Serial blood samples were collected before, during, and at the end of SLED sessions. Antimicrobial concentrations were determined using a validated HPLC method. Noncompartmental PK analysis was performed. AUC was determined for vancomycin. For meropenem, time above MIC was calculated. FINDINGS: A total of 24 patients receiving vancomycin and 21 receiving meropenem were included; 170 plasma samples were obtained. Median serum vancomycin and meropenem concentrations before SLED were 24.5 and 28.0 µg/mL, respectively; after SLED, 14 and 6 µg/mL. Mean removal was 42% with vancomycin and 78% with meropenem. With vancomycin, 19 (83%), 16 (70%), and 15 (65%) patients would have achieved the target (AUC0-24 >400) considering MICs of 1, 2, and 4 mg/L, respectively. With meropenem, 17 (85%), 14 (70%), and 10 (50%) patients would have achieved the target (100% of time above MIC) if infected with isolates with MICs of 1, 4, and 8 mg/L, respectively. IMPLICATIONS: SLED clearances of meropenem and vancomycin were 3-fold higher than the clearance described by continuous methods. Despite this finding, overall high PK/PD target attainments were obtained, except for at higher MICs. We suggest a maintenance dose of 1 g TID or BID of meropenem. With vancomycin, a more individualized approach using therapeutic drug monitoring should be used, as commercial assays are available.

Linguistic and cultural adaptation to the Portuguese language of antimicrobial dose adjustment software.

OBJECTIVE: To adapt an antibiotic dose adjustment software initially developed in English, to Portuguese and to the Brazilian context. METHODS: This was an observational, descriptive study in which the Delphi method was used to establish consensus among specialists from different health areas, with questions addressing the visual and operational aspects of the software. In a second stage, a pilot experimental study was performed with the random comparison of patients for evaluation and adaptation of the software in the real environment of an intensive care unit, where it was compared between patients who used the standardized dose of piperacillin/tazobactam, and those who used an individualized dose adjusted through the software Individually Designed and Optimized Dosing Strategies. RESULTS: Twelve professionals participated in the first round, whose suggestions were forwarded to the software developer for adjustments, and subsequently submitted to the second round. Eight specialists participated in the second round. Indexes of 80% and 90% of concordance were obtained between the judges, characterizing uniformity in the suggestions. Thus, there was modification in the layout of the software for linguistic and cultural adequacy, minimizing errors of understanding and contradictions. In the second stage, 21 patients were included, and there were no differences between doses of piperacillin in the standard dose and adjusted dose Groups. CONCLUSION: The adapted version of the software is safe and reliable for its use in Brazil.

What is the effectiveness of post-discharge pharmacotherapeutic empowerment of patients with diabetes?

The objective of the present article was to evaluate the glycemic control of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) after discharge from a pharmacotherapeutic empowerment program. The results suggest that the strategy is effective for short-term glycemic control, but the benefits are not maintained after discharge, indicating the need for the pharmacist's continuous role.

The Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire: a study with Portuguese elementary school children.

BACKGROUND: Several studies have focused on the assessment of students' motivation because this construct is very important to understand students' learning and how to enhance it. The Academic Self-Regulation Questionnaire (SRQ-A), based on the self-determination theory is a self-report instrument developed to access the reasons why students do their school work. However, there is no Portuguese version of this questionnaire for late elementary students. The primary goal of this research was to analyze the psychometric properties of a Portuguese version of SRQ-A in the domain of Mathematics with elementary school children. METHODS: Participants were 341 elementary school children ranging from 8 to 11 years old from the third and fourth grades. The Portuguese version of the SRQ-A included 24 items assessing four regulatory styles (external, introjected, identified, and intrinsic) in three behavioral categories (homework, classwork, and answering questions in mathematics lessons). To examine the psychometric properties of the instrument, we conducted an exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), measured gender and grade invariance, and calculated internal consistency indexes and temporal stability. RESULTS: ESEM analyses supported the original multidimensional structure of the measure with four regulatory styles using a reduced version of the instrument with 16 items. Correlations between the four regulatory styles revealed a simplex pattern consistent with the continuum of self-determination theory. Results showed adequate internal consistency for all regulatory styles (α ≥ .73; CR ≥ .76) and temporal stability (4-month test-retest ≥ .43). The questionnaire showed measurement and structural invariance across gender and grade. Finally, some gender differences were observed; on average, boys scored higher than girls in external regulation. No differences were observed between grades. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that the Portuguese version of the SRQ-A has good psychometric properties providing adequate support for its use in educational research on motivational styles, including studies concerning gender and grade differences in self-regulation.

Effective vancomycin concentrations in children: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the microbiological effectiveness, based on the pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics correlation of vancomycin in pediatric patients, and to propose dose adjustment. METHODS: This is an observational, cross-sectional study, conducted in a pediatric hospital, over a 1-year period (2016 to 2017). Children of both sexes, aged 2 to 12 years, were included in the study; burn children, and children in renal replacement therapy were excluded. For the pharmacokinetic analysis, two samples of 2mL of whole blood were collected, respecting the 2-hour interval between each withdrawal. RESULTS: Ten pediatric patients with median age of 5.5 years and interquartile range (IQR) of 3.2-9.0 years, median weight of 21kg (IQR: 15.5-24.0kg) and median height of 112.5cm (IQR: 95-133cm), were included. Only one child achieved trough concentrations between 10µg/mL and 15µg/mL. CONCLUSION: The empirical use of vancomycin in the children studied did not achieve the therapeutic pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic target for minimum inhibitory concentration of 1µg/mL.

Post-marketing Study of Linagliptin: A Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: Linagliptin is a high-cost oral antidiabetic that has been widely used, and studies on its effectiveness and safety for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) in the real world is rare and necessary. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the values of glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and adverse events before and after the use of linagliptin in the post-marketing context of a pilot study. METHODS: This is a descriptive observational and exploratory study with a retrospective longitudinal approach, conducted between January 2014 and December 2016. All patients who participated in the study were over 18 years of age, with DM2, assisted by the Brazilian Public Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) and had been indicated for use of linagliptin. The users were followed up and the variables of interest were collected from a computerized health information system (sistema informatizado de saúde - SIS) and patient records. For effectiveness analysis, HbA1c before (T0) and after (T1) the use of linagliptin was considered in patients registered as having collected linagliptin at the pharmacy for at least three consecutive months. For safety analysis, registered adverse events (AE) were verified in patients' records. The sample was stratified according to the pharmacotherapeutic scheme of the users. To compare the means before (T0) and after (T1), a paired t-test (data with normal distribution) and Wilcoxon Signed Rank Sum test (non-normal distribution data) were performed. RESULTS: Considering the total population of the study, in a different pharmacotherapeutic regimen, a median reduction in HbA1c of -0.86% (p < 0.05) was observed. After stratification by pharmacotherapeutic regimen, the most significant reduction of HbA1c was -1.07% (p = 0.014) for the linagliptin group associated with insulins and oral antidiabetic agents (n = 13). On the other hand, patients taking linagliptin in monotherapy had the lowest HbA1c reduction, -0.48% (p > 0.05). AE occurred in 12 (36.4%) patients, and 16.7% were in monotherapy. CONCLUSION: Linagliptin did not presented, in real world, the desired performance as showed in randomized premarketing clinical trials and it should be carefully evaluated in public health services.

Carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii in patients with burn injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: In this study, we aimed reviewed the data about the patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility and resistance determinants among carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) from patients with burn injury. METHODS: A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA statement in PUBMED/MEDLINE, Scopus, Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO), Biblioteca Virtual de Saúde (BVS) and Cochrane Library. The data referring to enzymatic resistance mechanisms were evaluated by meta-analyses according to random effect. RESULTS: 17 articles that evaluated 1226 CRAB recovered from patients with burn injury were included in study. The majority of studies are from Iran (12/17; 70.6%), published in 2016 (6/17; 35.3%) and showed prospective design (15/17; 88.2%). The samples were obtained mainly from burn wounds (14/17; 82.3%) and more than half of the studies did not identify if the isolates originated from infected or colonized patients (10/17; 58.8%). Second the meta-analyses, OXA-type carbapenemase was the main mechanism involved in low susceptibility to carbapenems (53.2%; 95% CI = 60, 80.0%, I2 = 86.0%), followed by metallo-ß-lactamases (MBL) (30.2%; 95% CI = 11, 42.0%, I2 = 93.0%), and Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) (16.6%; 95% CI = 5, 63.0%, I2 = 88.0%). The majority of strains harbored blaOXA-23-like (12/17; 70.6%) or blaOXA-24/40-like (12/17; 35.3%) genes. The studies included showed that minocycline (69.5%) and colistin (99.9%) susceptibility remains high and is not impacted by carbapenem resistance in these isolates. CONCLUSIONS: The results summarized in this review indicate the importance of a high-quality surveillance program to design suitable and effective interventions to control CRAB infection in burn units worldwide.

Pharmacotherapeutic empowerment and its effectiveness in glycemic control in patients with Diabetes Mellitus.

AIMS: To develop an intervention and evaluate its effectiveness in pharmacotherapeutic empowerment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHOD: This is an intervention study with before and after evaluation. The intervention was conducted between 2015 and 2016 with users of the Unified Health System (SUS) in Brazil. The study was divided into six stages: initial evaluation, three individual patient-pharmacist meetings every 15 days over 6 weeks, clinical discussion between pharmacists, and final evaluation. At each meeting with the patient, specific themes for empowerment were addressed using educational booklets and pharmaceutical care. Clinical and laboratory evaluations and questionnaires on self-efficacy (IMDSES), self-care (QAD) and distress (PAID-5) were conducted before and three months after the intervention. RESULTS: 47 patients completed the intervention. Glycated hemoglobin of patients had a median reduced from 7.0% to 6.6% after the intervention (p = 0.02). There was a significant difference (p < 0.01) in the reduction in total cholesterol, fasting glycemia, creatinine and blood pressure. Participants showed significant improvements (p < 0.01) in scores related to self-efficacy and self-care and less distress related to T2DM. CONCLUSION: The results of the study suggest that the strategy developed is effective in promoting the empowerment of T2DM patients, improved glycemic control and self-care.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of a pharmacotherapeutic empowerment strategy for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Background: The economic feasibility of pharmacotherapeutic empowerment of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) is still not well established. Objectives: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of an individual pharmacotherapeutic empowerment strategy (IPES) for patients with DM2. Methods: This is a cost-effectiveness study nested in a non-randomized clinical trial with patients ≥18 years of age, of both genders, with low and moderate cardiovascular risks. This study was carried out from the perspective of the municipal health system of Divinópolis in Minas Gerais state, and compared patients submitted to an IPES and patients who received only traditional care, 1 year before the beginning of the intervention (baseline) and 1 year after its completion (follow-up). The costs of the services offered by the municipality were computed, and in the intervention group IPES costs were included. Glycated hemoglobin (A1c) was the effectiveness parameter adopted. Cost-effectiveness ratio analyses, incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER), and sensitivity analysis were performed. Results: In the analysis of cost-effectiveness, it is observed that a reduction of 0.359 in A1c costs US$708.47 in the intervention group and a reduction of 0.170 costs US$1927.13 in the control group. Thus, the ICER is US$387.66 per patient/year. In the sensitivity analysis, it was observed that the IPES was dominant in 19.8% of the simulated scenarios and cost-effective in 80.2%. Conclusions: The IPES is an alternative that presents economic feasibility for the municipal public health system scenario. The absence of randomization in patient selection is a limitation of this study.