Implementation and Performance of a Point-of-Care COVID-19 Test Program in 4,000 California Schools.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of an unprecedented COVID-19 antigen testing program in schools, which required a healthcare provider order, laboratory director, a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) certificate of waiver, as well as training of school personnel. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive report of a point-of-care, school-based antigen testing program in California from 8/1/2021 through 5/30/2022, in which participants grades K-12 self-swabbed and school personnel performed testing. Participants included 944,009 students, personnel, and community members from 4,022 California K-12 schools. Outcomes measured include sensitivity and specificity (with polymerase chain reaction [PCR] as comparator), of the Abbott BinaxNOW™ antigen test, number of tests performed, and active infections identified. RESULTS: Of 102,022 paired PCR/antigen tests, the overall sensitivity and specificity for the antigen test was 81.2% (95%CI:80.5%-81.8%) and 99.6% (95%CI:99.5%-99.6%), respectively using cycle threshold (Ct) values <30. During January through March 2022, the highest prevalence period, the positive predictive value (PPV) of antigen testing was 94.7% and the negative predictive value was 94.2%. Overall, 4,022 school sites were enrolled and 3,987,840 million antigen tests were performed on 944,009 individuals. A total of 162,927 positive antigen tests were reported in 135,163 individuals (14.3% of persons tested). CONCLUSIONS: Rapidly implementing a school-based testing program in thousands of schools is feasible. Self-swabbing and testing by school personnel can yield accurate results. On-site COVID-19 testing is no longer necessary in schools, but this model provides a framework for future infectious disease threats.

Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus skin and soft tissue infection risk assessment using hotspot analysis and risk maps: the case of California emergency departments.

BACKGROUND: Community-acquired Staphylococcus aureus (CA-Sa) skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are historically associated with densely populated urban areas experiencing high poverty rates, intravenous drug use, and homelessness. However, the epidemiology of CA-Sa SSTIs in the United States has been poorly understood since the plateau of the Community-acquired Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus epidemic in 2010. This study examines the spatial variation of CA-Sa SSTIs in a large, geographically heterogeneous population and identifies neighborhood characteristics associated with increased infection risk. METHODS: Using a unique neighborhood boundary, California Medical Service Study Areas, a hotspot analysis, and estimates of neighborhood infection risk ratios were conducted for all CA-Sa SSTIs presented in non-Federal California emergency departments between 2016 and 2019. A Bayesian Poisson regression model evaluated the association between neighborhood-level infection risk and population structure, neighborhood poverty rates, and being a healthcare shortage area. RESULTS: Emergency departments in more rural and mountainous parts of California experienced a higher burden of CA-Sa SSTIs between 2016 and 2019. Neighborhoods with high infection rates were more likely to have a high percentage of adults living below the federal poverty level and be a designated healthcare shortage area. Measures of population structure were not associated with infection risk in California neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: Our results highlight a potential change in the epidemiology of CA-Sa SSTIs in California emergency departments. Future studies should investigate the CA-Sa burden in other geographies to identify whether this shift in epidemiology holds across other states and populations. Further, a more thorough evaluation of potential mechanisms for the clustering of infections seen across California neighborhoods is needed.

Risk factors for HIV infection at a large urban emergency department: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVES: In 2019, the US Preventative Services Task Force released updated guidelines recommending HIV screening in all individuals aged 15-64 years and all pregnant females. In the current study, we aimed to identify risk factors for HIV infection in an emergency department (ED) population. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study that employed a post hoc risk factor analysis of ED patients ≥18 years who were screened for HIV between 27 November 2018 and 26 November 2019, at a single urban, quaternary referral academic hospital. Patients were screened using HIV antigen/antibody testing and diagnoses were confirmed using HIV-1/HIV-2 antibody testing. The outcome of interest was the number of positive HIV tests. Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with HIV positivity. RESULTS: 14 335 adult patients were screened for HIV (mean age: 43±14 years; 52% female). HIV seroprevalence was 0.7%. Independent risk factors for HIV positivity included male sex (adjusted OR (aOR) 3.1 (95% CI 1.7 to 5.6)), unhoused status (aOR 2.9 (95% CI 1.7 to 4.9)), history of illicit drug use (aOR 1.8 (95% CI 1.04 to 3.13)) and Medicare insurance status (aOR 2.2 (95% CI 1.1 to 4.4)). CONCLUSIONS: The study ED services a high-risk population with regard to HIV infection. These data support universal screening of ED patients for HIV. Risk factor profiles could improve targeted screening at institutions without universal HIV testing protocols.

Evaluation of pharmacist guided intervention using procalcitonin and respiratory virus testing.

INTRODUCTION: Acute respiratory infections make up a sizable percentage of emergency department (ED) visits and many result in antibiotics being prescribed. Procalcitonin (PCT) has been found to reduce antibiotic use in both outpatient and critical care settings, yet remains underused in the ED. This study aimed to evaluate whether point of care molecular influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) testing, PCT, and a pharmacist driven educational intervention in aggregate optimizes antibiotic and antiviral prescribing in the ED setting. METHODS: A randomized trial of the Cobas Liat Flu/RSV Assay, procalcitonin, and the use of pharmacist-led education in patients 0-50 years of age being seen in the ED for Influenza Like Illness (ILI) or acute respiratory illness. The study enrolled 200 ED patients between March 2018 and April 2022. RESULTS: There was little difference in antibiotic or antiviral prescribing between the intervention and control groups in this study (39%-32% = 7.0%, 95% CI: -6.2, 20.2, P = 0.30). However, a post-hoc analysis of the use of procalcitonin showed results were used as indicated in the ED (P = 0.001). CONCLUSION: PCT can be used in both adult and pediatric populations to help guide the decision of whether to treat with antibiotics in the ED setting. Pharmacist guided education may not be a driving factor.

Envisioning Future Urinary Tract Infection Diagnostics.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in the United States and are a major driver of antibiotic use, both appropriate and inappropriate, across healthcare settings. Novel UTI diagnostics are a strategy that might enable better UTI treatment. Members of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group Laboratory Center and the Infectious Diseases Society of America Diagnostics Committee convened to envision ideal future UTI diagnostics, with a view towards improving delivery of healthcare, patient outcomes and experiences, and antibiotic use, addressing which types of UTI diagnostics are needed and how companies might approach development of novel UTI diagnostics.

Risk factors for hepatitis C virus infection at a large urban emergency department.

In 2020, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released guidelines recommending HCV screening in all adults 18 years and older. In the current study, we aimed to identify risk factors for HCV infection in an ED population. We performed a retrospective analysis of ED patients ≥ 18 years who were screened for HCV between 28 November 2018, and 27 November 2019, at a single urban, quaternary referral academic hospital. An HCV-antibody immunoassay (HCV-Ab) was used for screening; positive results were confirmed by measuring HCV ribonucleic acid (RNA). The outcome of interest was the number of new HCV diagnoses (presence of viremia by HCV RNA testing). Multiple logistic regression models were used to identify risk factors associated with a new HCV diagnosis. 16,722 adult patients were screened for HCV (mean age: 46 ± 15 years; 51% female). HCV seroprevalence was 5%. Independent risk factors for HCV included increasing age [10-year aOR 1.26 (95% CI 1.23, 1.30)], male sex [aOR 1.25 (95% CI 1.03, 1.51)], undomiciled housing status [aOR 2.8 (95% CI 2.3, 3.5)], history of tobacco use [aOR 3.0 (95% CI 2.3, 3.9)], history of illicit drug use [aOR 3.6 (95% CI 2.9, 4.5)], Medicaid insurance status [aOR 4.0 (95% CI 2.9, 5.5)] and Medicare insurance status [aOR 1.6 (95% CI 1.1, 2.2)].The ED services a high-risk population with regards to HCV infection. These data support universal screening of ED patients for HCV. Risk factor profiles could improve targeted screening at institutions without universal testing protocols.

Risk Factors for Syphilis at a Large Urban Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of syphilis is increasing in the United States. The emergency department (ED) is an important setting to screen and treat underserved populations. To tailor testing protocols to the local population, we aimed to identify risk factors for syphilis positivity in ED patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis of ED patients who were screened for syphilis between November 2018 and August 2020. Patients were screened for Treponema pallidum antibody using a multiplex flow immunoassay, and positive results were confirmed by rapid plasma reagin or T. pallidum particle agglutination. Risk factors for new syphilis diagnoses were identified using multiple logistic regression. RESULTS: We screened 1974 patients for syphilis (mean age, 37 ± 16 years; 56% female). We identified 201 patients with new infections without previous treatment. Independent risk factors for a new diagnosis of syphilis included housing status (undomiciled, 23% [60 of 256]; domiciled, 9% [133 of 1559]; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.9 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.2-3.0]), history of HIV (positive, 44% [28 of 63]; negative, 9% [173 of 1893]; aOR, 5.8 [95% CI, 3.0-11.2]), tobacco use (positive, 15% [117 of 797]; negative, 4% [29 of 665]; aOR, 2.4 [95% CI, 1.5-3.9]), and illicit drug use (positive, 14% [112 of 812]; negative, 8% [52 of 678]; aOR, 2.2 [95% CI, 1.0-2.5]). CONCLUSIONS: Undomiciled housing status, history of HIV, history of tobacco use, and history of illicit drug use were independently associated with a new diagnosis of syphilis in the ED. Broadening targeted syphilis screening algorithms beyond sexually transmitted disease-related complaints could help identify new syphilis cases for treatment.

Assessing local California trends in emergency physician opioid prescriptions from 2012 to 2020: Experiences in a large academic health system.

OBJECTIVES: There has been increased focus nationally on limiting opioid prescriptions. National data demonstrates a decrease in annual opioid prescriptions among emergency medicine physicians. We analyzed data from 2012 to 2020 from a large academic health system in California to understand trends in opioid prescribing patterns for emergency department (ED) discharged patients and assessed the potential impact of two initiatives at limiting local opioid prescriptions. METHODS: In 2012-2020, monthly ED visit data was used to evaluate the total number of outpatient opioid prescriptions and percent of ED visits with opioid prescriptions (as primary outcomes). Descriptive statistics, graphic representation, and segmented regression with interrupted times series were used based on two prespecified time points associated with intensive local initiatives directed at limiting opioid prescribing1) comprehensive emergency medicine resident education and 2) electronic health record (EHR)-based intervention. RESULTS: Between March 2012 and July 2020, a total of 41,491 ED discharged patients received an opioid prescription. The three most commonly prescribed drugs were hydrocodone (84.1%), oxycodone (10.8%), and codeine (2.8%). After implementing comprehensive emergency medicine resident education, the total number of opioid prescriptions, the percentage of opioid prescriptions over total ED visit numbers and the total tablet number showed decreasing trends (p's ≤ 0.01), in addition to the natural (pre-intervention) decreasing trends. In contrast, later interventions in the EHR tended to show attenuated decreasing trends. CONCLUSIONS: From 2012 to 2020, we found that total opioid prescriptions decreased significantly for discharged ED patients. This trend is seen nationally. However, our specific interventions further heightened this downward trend. Evidence-based legislation, policy changes, and educational initiatives that impact prescribing practices should guide future efforts.

Use of an Asymptomatic COVID-19 Testing Protocol in a Pediatric Emergency Department.

BACKGROUND: High rates of asymptomatic infections with COVID-19 have been reported. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to describe an asymptomatic COVID-19 testing protocol in a pediatric emergency department (ED). METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (younger than 18 years) who were tested for COVID-19 via the asymptomatic testing protocol at a single urban pediatric ED between May 2020 and January 2021. This included all pediatric patients undergoing admission, urgent procedures, and psychiatric facility placement. The primary outcome was the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests. COVID-19 testing was performed via real-time polymerase chain reaction RNA assay testing. County-level COVID-19 data were used to estimate local daily COVID-19 cases/100,000 individuals (from all ages). Data were described with simple descriptive statistics. RESULTS: There were 1459 children tested for COVID-19 under the asymptomatic protocol. Mean ± standard deviation age was 8.2 ± 5.8 years. Two tests were inconclusive and 29 (2.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-2.8%) were positive. Of the 29 positive cases, 14 (48%; 95% CI 29-67%) had abnormal vital signs or signs and symptoms of COVID-19, on retrospective review. A total of 15 truly asymptomatic infections were identified. On the days that asymptomatic cases were identified, the lowest average daily community rate was 7.67 cases/100,000 individuals. CONCLUSIONS: Asymptomatic COVID-19 positivity rates in the pediatric ED were low when the average daily community rate was fewer than 7.5 cases/100,000 individuals. In the current pandemic, ED clinicians should assess for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, even when children present to the ED with unrelated chief symptoms.

Evolving Applications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Infectious Diseases Testing.

BACKGROUND: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are poised to transform infectious disease testing. Uniquely, infectious disease testing is technologically diverse spaces in laboratory medicine, where multiple platforms and approaches may be required to support clinical decision-making. Despite advances in laboratory informatics, the vast array of infectious disease data is constrained by human analytical limitations. Machine learning can exploit multiple data streams, including but not limited to laboratory information and overcome human limitations to provide physicians with predictive and actionable results. As a quickly evolving area of computer science, laboratory professionals should become aware of AI/ML applications for infectious disease testing as more platforms are become commercially available. CONTENT: In this review we: (a) define both AI/ML, (b) provide an overview of common ML approaches used in laboratory medicine, (c) describe the current AI/ML landscape as it relates infectious disease testing, and (d) discuss the future evolution AI/ML for infectious disease testing in both laboratory and point-of-care applications. SUMMARY: The review provides an important educational overview of AI/ML technique in the context of infectious disease testing. This includes supervised ML approaches, which are frequently used in laboratory medicine applications including infectious diseases, such as COVID-19, sepsis, hepatitis, malaria, meningitis, Lyme disease, and tuberculosis. We also apply the concept of "data fusion" describing the future of laboratory testing where multiple data streams are integrated by AI/ML to provide actionable clinical knowledge.

A multifaceted intervention improves antibiotic stewardship for skin and soft tissues infections.

OBJECTIVE: Assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted stewardship intervention to reduce frequency and duration of inappropriate antibiotic use for emergency department (ED) patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). We hypothesized the antibiotic stewardship program would reduce antibiotic duration and improve guideline adherence in discharged SSTI patients. DESIGN: Nonrandomized controlled trial. SETTING: Academic EDs (intervention site and control site). PATIENTS OR PARTICIPANTS: Attending physicians and nurse practitioners at participating EDs. INTERVENTION(S): Education regarding guideline-based treatment of SSTI, tests of antimicrobial treatment of SSTI, implementation of a clinical treatment algorithm and order set in the electronic health record, and ED clinicians' audit and feedback. RESULTS: We examined 583 SSTIs. At the intervention site, clinician adherence to guidelines improved from 41% to 51% (aOR = 2.13 [95% CI: 1.20-3.79]). At the control site, there were no changes in adherence during the "intervention" period (aOR = 1.17 [0.65-2.12]). The between-site comparison of these during vs. pre-intervention odds ratios was not different (aOR = 1.82 [0.79-4.21]). Antibiotic duration decreased by 26% at the intervention site during the intervention compared to pre-intervention (Adjusted Geometric Mean Ratio [95% CI] = 0.74 [0.66-0.84]). Adherence was inversely associated with SSTI severity (severe vs mild; adjusted OR 0.42 [0.20-0.89]) and purulence (0.32 [0.21-0.47]). Mean antibiotic prescription duration was 1.95 days shorter (95% CI: 1.54-2.33) in the time period following the intervention than pre-intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: A multifaceted intervention resulted in modest improvement in adherence to guidelines compared to a control site, driven by treatment duration reductions.

ED syphilis and gonorrhea/chlamydia cotesting practices before and after the implementation of an electronic health record-based alert.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of syphilis is increasing in many countries, including the USA. The ED is often used by underserved populations, making it an important setting to test and treat patients who are not evaluated in outpatient clinical settings. We aimed to assess the utility of an ED-based syphilis and gonorrhoea/chlamydia cotesting protocol by comparing testing practices before and after its implementation. METHODS: We implemented an electronic health record (EHR) alert that prompted clinicians to order syphilis testing in patients undergoing gonorrhoea/chlamydia testing. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis that compared outcomes between the preimplementation period (January-November 2018) and the postimplementation period (January-November 2019). Patients were tested for Treponema pallidum antibody (TPA) using a multiplex flow immunoassay (MFI), and positive results were confirmed by rapid plasma reagin (RPR). The primary implementation outcome was the number of syphilis tests/month, and the primary clinical outcome was the number of syphilis diagnoses/month (defined as positive TPA MFI and RPR). We performed an interrupted time-series analysis to evaluate the effect of implementing the alert over time. RESULTS: Four-hundred and ninety-four and 1106 unique patients were tested for syphilis in the preimplementation and postimplementation periods, respectively. Syphilis testing increased by 55.6 tests/month (95% CI 45.9 to 65.3, p<0.001) following alert implementation. Patients tested in the postimplementation period who were tested using the alert were much younger (difference: 14 years (95% CI 12 to 15)) and were more likely to be female (difference: 15% (95% CI 8 to 21)) and African-American (difference: 11% (95% CI 5 to 17)) than patients tested by clinician-initiated testing. Presumptive syphilis diagnoses increased from 3.4 diagnoses/month to 7.9 diagnoses/month (difference, 4.5 (95% CI 2.2 to 6.9), p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates that use of a targeted EHR alert testing protocol can increase syphilis testing and diagnosis and may reduce clinician bias in testing.

Communication interventions to promote the public's awareness of antibiotics: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate antibiotic use is implicated in antibiotic resistance and resultant morbidity and mortality. Overuse is particularly prevalent for outpatient respiratory infections, and perceived patient expectations likely contribute. Thus, various educational programs have been implemented to educate the public. METHODS: We systematically identified public-directed interventions to promote antibiotic awareness in the United States. PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus were queried for articles published from January 1996 through January 2016. Two investigators independently assessed titles and abstracts of retrieved articles for subsequent full-text review. References of selected articles and three review articles were likewise screened for inclusion. Identified educational interventions were coded for target audience, content, distribution site, communication method, and major outcomes. RESULTS: Our search yielded 1,106 articles; 34 met inclusion criteria. Due to overlap in interventions studied, 29 distinct educational interventions were identified. Messages were primarily delivered in outpatient clinics (N = 24, 83%) and community sites (N = 12, 41%). The majority included clinician education. Antibiotic prescription rates were assessed for 22 interventions (76%). Patient knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) were assessed for 10 interventions (34%). Similar rates of success between antibiotic prescription rates and patient KAB were reported (73 and 70%, respectively). Patient interventions that did not include clinician education were successful to increase KAB but were not shown to decrease antibiotic prescribing. Three interventions targeted reductions in Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance; none were successful. CONCLUSIONS: Messaging programs varied in their designs, and many were multifaceted in their approach. These interventions can change patient perspectives regarding antibiotic use, though it is unclear if clinician education is also necessary to reduce antibiotic prescribing. Further investigations are needed to determine the relative influence of interventions focusing on patients and physicians and to determine whether these changes can influence rates of antibiotic resistance long-term.

Multicenter Evaluation of the Xpert MRSA NxG Assay for Detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus in Nasal Swabs.

Health care-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections are a burden on the health care system. Clinical laboratories play a key role in reducing this burden, as the timely identification of MRSA colonization or infection facilitates infection control practices that are effective at limiting invasive MRSA infections. The Xpert MRSA NxG assay recently received FDA clearance for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal swabs. This multicenter study evaluated the clinical performance characteristics of the Xpert MRSA NxG assay with prospectively collected rayon nasal swabs (n = 1,103) and flocked swab (ESwab) nasal specimens (n = 846). Culture-based identification methods and antimicrobial susceptibility testing were used as the reference standards for comparison. According to the reference method, the positivity rates for MRSA in the population evaluated were 11.1% (122/1,103) for rayon swabs and 11.6% (98/846) for flocked swabs. The overall sensitivity and specificity of the rayon swabs were 91.0% (95% confidence interval [CI], 84.6 to 94.9%) and 96.9% (95% CI, 95.7 to 97.8%), respectively, across eight testing sites. The flocked swab specimens were 92.9% sensitive (95% CI, 86.0 to 96.5%) and 97.6% specific (95% CI, 96.2 to 98.5%) for MRSA detection across six testing sites. The sensitivity and specificity of the combined flocked and rayon swab data were 91.8% (95% CI, 87.4 to 94.8%) and 97.2% (95% CI, 96.3 to 97.9%), respectively. The positive predictive value (PPV) for rayon swabs was 78.7%, versus 83.5% for ESwabs. The negative predictive values (NPVs) for rayon swabs and ESwab specimens were 98.9% and 99.1%, respectively. In conclusion, the Xpert MRSA NxG assay is a sensitive and specific assay for the direct detection of MRSA from nasal swab specimens.

Accurate PCR Detection of Influenza A/B and Respiratory Syncytial Viruses by Use of Cepheid Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay in Point-of-Care Settings: Comparison to Prodesse ProFlu.

The Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay is a fast, automated in vitro diagnostic test for qualitative detection and differentiation of influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) performed on the Cepheid GeneXpert Xpress System. The objective of this study was to establish performance characteristics of the Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay compared to those of the Prodesse ProFlu+ real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay (ProFlu+) for the detection of influenza A and B viruses as well as RSV in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived (CW) setting. Overall, the assay, using fresh and frozen nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, demonstrated high concordance with results of the ProFlu+ assay in the combined CW and non-CW settings with positive percent agreements (PPA) (100%, 100%, and 97.1%) and negative percent agreements (NPA) (95.2%, 99.5%, and 99.6%) for influenza A and B viruses and RSV, respectively. In conclusion, this multicenter study using the Cepheid Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay demonstrated high sensitivities and specificities for influenza A and B viruses and RSV in ∼60 min for use at the point-of-care in the CW setting.

Categorical Risk Perception Drives Variability in Antibiotic Prescribing in the Emergency Department: A Mixed Methods Observational Study.

BACKGROUND: Adherence to evidence-based antibiotic therapy guidelines for treatment of upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) varies widely among clinicians. Understanding this variability is key for reducing inappropriate prescribing. OBJECTIVE: To measure how emergency department (ED) clinicians' perceptions of antibiotic prescribing risks affect their decision-making. DESIGN: Clinician survey based on fuzzy-trace theory, a theory of medical decision-making, combined with retrospective data on prescribing outcomes for URI/pneumonia visits in two EDs. The survey predicts the categorical meanings, or gists, that individuals derive from given information. PARTICIPANTS: ED physicians, residents, and physician assistants (PAs) who completed surveys and treated patients with URI/pneumonia diagnoses between August 2014 and December 2015. MAIN MEASURES: Gists derived from survey responses and their association with rates of antibiotic prescribing per visit. KEY RESULTS: Of 4474 URI/pneumonia visits, 2874 (64.2%) had an antibiotic prescription. However, prescribing rates varied from 7% to 91% for the 69 clinicians surveyed (65.2% response rate). Clinicians who framed therapy-prescribing decisions as a categorical choice between continued illness and possibly beneficial treatment ("why not take a risk?" gist, which assumes antibiotic therapy is essentially harmless) had higher rates of prescribing (OR 1.28 [95% CI, 1.06-1.54]). Greater agreement with the "antibiotics may be harmful" gist was associated with lower prescribing rates (OR 0.81 [95% CI, 0.67-0.98]). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that clinicians who perceive prescribing as a categorical choice between patients remaining ill or possibly improving from therapy are more likely to prescribe antibiotics. However, this strategy assumes that antibiotics are essentially harmless. Clinicians who framed decision-making as a choice between potential harms from therapy and continued patient illness (e.g., increased appreciation of potential harms) had lower prescribing rates. These results suggest that interventions to reduce inappropriate prescribing should emphasize the non-negligible possibility of serious side effects.

Newly approved antibiotics and antibiotics reserved for resistant infections: Implications for emergency medicine.

Millions of patients are evaluated every year in the emergency department (ED) for bacterial infections. Emergency physicians often diagnose and prescribe initial antibiotic therapy for a variety of bacterial infections, ranging from simple urinary tract infections to severe sepsis. In life-threatening infections, inappropriate choice of initial antibiotic has been shown to increase morbidity and mortality. As such, initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy on the part of the emergency physician is critical. Increasing rates of antibiotic resistance, drug allergies, and antibiotic shortages further complicates the choice of antibiotics. Patients may have a history of prior resistant infections or culture data indicating that common first-line antibiotics used in the ED may be ineffective. In recent years, there have been several new antibiotic approvals as well as renewed interest in second and third line antibiotics because of the aforementioned concerns. In addition, several newly approved antibiotics have the advantage of being administered once weekly or even as a single infusion, which has the potential to decrease hospitalizations and healthcare costs. This article reviews newly approved antibiotics and antibiotics used to treat resistant infections with a focus on implications for emergency medicine.

Emerging trends in antibiotic resistance: Implications for emergency medicine.

BACKGROUND: Many bacteria are demonstrating increasing levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. While this has implications for the healthcare system as a whole, many patients infected with these resistant organisms will initially present to the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of current trends in infections caused by the most clinically relevant resistant organisms encountered in emergency medicine. METHODS: Bacteria were selected based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, and PubMed database. RESULTS: The following bacteria were included: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, Escherichia coli, carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All have shown increasing rates of resistance to one or more of the antibiotics commonly used to treat them. Increasing rates of antibiotic resistance are associated with worse clinical outcomes and greater healthcare costs. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic resistance is increasing and poses significant a risk to both the patient and public health as a whole. Appropriate choice of initial antibiotic is important in improving clinical outcomes, which is often the role of the ED provider. On a broader level, the ED must also take part in institutional efforts such as Antibiotic Stewardship Programs, which have been shown to decrease costs and rates of infection with resistant organisms. Ultimately, a multifaceted approach will be required to curb the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Executive Summary: Implementing an Antibiotic Stewardship Program: Guidelines by the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America.

Evidence-based guidelines for implementation and measurement of antibiotic stewardship interventions in inpatient populations including long-term care were prepared by a multidisciplinary expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The panel included clinicians and investigators representing internal medicine, emergency medicine, microbiology, critical care, surgery, epidemiology, pharmacy, and adult and pediatric infectious diseases specialties. These recommendations address the best approaches for antibiotic stewardship programs to influence the optimal use of antibiotics.