Assessment of drug utilization pattern of antimicrobial agents in hospitalized patients with Infectious Diseases: A cross-sectional study in the United Arab Emirates.

Efficacious use of antimicrobial agents (AMAs) is paramount to combat a wide range of infections, ensure patient safety, and reduce antimicrobial resistance. To assess the drug utilization patterns of AMAs in hospitalized patients with infectious diseases in a secondary care hospital. A prospective observational study was conducted for 6 months in the internal medicine department. Data were collected, antimicrobial prescription patterns were screened, and drug utilization was assessed using the anatomical therapeutic chemical/defined daily dose methodology. Furthermore, predictors of the prescription of multiple AMAs were also analyzed. A total of 146 patient case records were reviewed and 285 AMAs were prescribed during the study period with a mean patient age of 54.2 ± 24.4 years. The average number of antimicrobials administered per patient was 1.94 ± 0.94. Respiratory tract infection and urinary tract infection were the common indications, and penicillins were the most prescribed class of AMAs. Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of comorbidities (P < 0.05) and longer hospital stays (P < 0.0001) increased the likelihood of prescribing multiple AMAs. The study provides insight into the pattern of prescribing of AMAs which help to improve the quality of care. Prescribing AMAs by generics and from the hospital formulary list according to the recommendations of the World Health Organization is a good sign of clinical practice. The study signifies the need to continuously monitor AMAs to optimize drug therapy and enhance the quality of drug use in clinical practice.

Administração de anti-infecciosos em pacientes críticos: gestão proativa de riscos / Administration of anti-infectives in critically ill patients: proactive risk management / Administración de antiinfecciosos en pacientes críticos: gestión proactiva del riesgo

Objetivo: analisar a gestão de riscos proativa do processo de administração de anti-infecciosos em Unidade de Terapia Intensiva. Método: estudo qualitativo, em pesquisa-ação, com observação participante e grupo focal, realizado de 2019 a 2021. Foi mapeado o processo, analisados os riscos, planejadas ações de melhorias e redesenhado o processo. Resultados: a prescrição ocorria em sistema eletrônico e os registros da administração em impressos. O processo de administração de anti-infecciosos possuía 19 atividades, dois subprocessos, 16 modos de falhas e 23 causas potenciais. Os modos de falhas foram relacionados à assepsia e erro de dose no preparo de anti-infecciosos e as causas apontadas foram a falha humana na violação das técnicas e o lapso de memória. Cinco especialistas redesenharam o processo resultando em alterações de atividades e no sistema. Conclusão: a gestão de riscos proativa aplicada ao processo de administração de anti-infecciosos propiciou identificar riscos, suas causas e priorizar ações de melhorias, o que pode viabilizar tomadas de decisões apropriadas(AU)

Objective: to analyze the proactive risk management of the anti-infective administration process in an Intensive Care Unit. Method: qualitative study, in action research, with participant observation and focus group, from 2019 to 2021. The process was mapped, risks analyzed, improvement actions planned and the process redesigned. Results: the prescription occurred in an electronic system and the administration records in printed form. The anti-infective administration process had 19 activities, two sub-processes, 16 failure modes and 23 potential causes. The failure modes were related to asepsis and dose error in the preparation of anti-infectives and the identified causes were human error in violating techniques and memory lapse. Five specialists redesigned the process resulting in changes in activities and in the system. Conclusion: proactive risk management applied to the anti-infective administration process was effective in identifying risks, their causes and prioritizing improvement actions(AU)

Objetivo: analizar la gestión proactiva de riesgos del proceso de administración de antiinfecciosos en una Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos. Método: estudio cualitativo, en investigación-acción, con observación participante y grupo focal, que tuvo lugar del 2019 al 2021. Se mapeó el proceso, se analizaron los riesgos, se planificaron acciones de mejora y se rediseñó el proceso. Resultados: la prescripción ocurrió en sistema electrónico y los registros de administración en forma impresa. El proceso de administración de antiinfecciosos tuvo 19 actividades, dos subprocesos, 16 modos de falla y 23 causas potenciales. Los modos de falla estuvieron relacionados con la asepsia y error de dosis en la preparación de antiinfecciosos y las causas identificadas fueron error humano por violación de técnicas y lapsus de memoria. Cinco especialistas rediseñaron el proceso generando cambios en las actividades y en el sistema. Conclusión: la gestión proactiva de riesgos aplicada al proceso de administración de antiinfecciosos fue efectiva para identificar riesgos, sus causas y priorizar acciones de mejora, lo que puede factibilizar la toma de decisiones adecuadasa(AU)

Agreement between pharmacists and physicians on the assessment of appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing.

INTRODUCTION: Audits for monitoring the quality of antimicrobial prescribing are a main tool in antimicrobial stewardship programs; however, interobserver reliability has not been conclusively assessed. Our objective was to measure the level of agreement between pharmacists and physicians on the appropriateness of antimicrobials prescribing in hospitals. METHODS: A national multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted of patients who were receiving antimicrobials one day of April 2021. Hospital participation was voluntary, and the study population was randomly selected. Pharmacists and physicians performed a simultaneous, independent assessment of the quality of antimicrobial prescriptions. The observers used an assessment method by which all indicators of the quality of antimicrobial use were considered. Finally, an algorithm was used to rate overall antimicrobial prescribing as appropriate, suboptimal, inappropriate, or not assessable. Gwet's AC1 coefficient was used to assess interobserver agreement. RESULTS: In total, 101 hospitals participated, and 411 hospital antimicrobial prescriptions were reviewed. The strength of agreement was moderate regarding the overall quality of prescribing (AC1=0.51; 95%CI=[0.44-0.58]). A very good level of agreement (AC1>0.80) was observed between pharmacists and physicians in all indicators of the quality, except for duration of treatment, rated as good (AC1=0.79; 95%CI=[0.75-0.83]), and registration on the medical record, rated as fair (AC1=0.34; 95%CI=[0.26-0.43]). The agreement was greater in critical care, onco-hematology, and pediatric units than in medical and surgery units. CONCLUSIONS: In this point prevalence study, a moderate level of agreement was observed between pharmacists and physicians in the evaluation of the appropriateness of antimicrobials prescribing in hospitals.

Antibiotic Prescription Patterns in Children Under 5 Years of Age With Acute Diarrhea in Quito-Ecuador.

BACKGROUND: Diarrheal disease remains a significant cause of child mortality, particularly in regions with limited access to healthcare and sanitation. Inappropriate practices, including unjustified medication prescriptions, pose challenges in the management of acute diarrhea (AD), especially in low- and middle-income countries. OBJECTIVE: This study analyzed antibiotic prescription patterns and assessed compliance with Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) guidelines in children under 5 with AD in the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) Ambulatory Care Centers of Quito city, Ecuador. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used, collecting electronic health records (EHR) of patients diagnosed with AD from 21 health facilities in District 17D03. A probabilistic and stratified sampling approach was applied. Patient characteristics, prescriber characteristics, treatments, and compliance of IMCI guideline recommendations were evaluated. A stepwise logistic regression analysis examined the association between antibiotic prescription and patient and physician characteristics. RESULTS: A total of 359 children under 5 years of age were included, with 58.77% being girls. 85.24% of the cases of AD were attributed to gastroenteritis and colitis of infectious and unspecified origin. Amebiasis and other protozoal intestinal diseases accounted for 13.37% and 1.11% of the cases, respectively. The completion rates of recording various IMCI parameters varied; parameters such as duration of diarrhea, presence of blood in stool, and evidence of sunken eyes had high completion rates (100%, 100%, and 87.47%, respectively), while parameters like state of consciousness, presence of thirst, and type of diarrhea had low completion rates (0.28%, 0.28%, and 0.84%, respectively). None of the cases had all parameters fully recorded. Antimicrobials were prescribed in 38.72% of the cases. Children aged 3 to 5 years had higher odds of receiving antimicrobial prescription for AD (aOR: 4.42, 95% CI 2.13-9.18, P < .0001) compared to those under 1 year, after adjusting for the number of loose stools per day, gender, and age of the health professional. CONCLUSION: Variations in IMCI guideline compliance were observed, with no cases fully adhering to the guidelines. Antimicrobial prescription rates were notably high, especially among older children. Further research and specialized interventions are necessary to gain comprehensive insight into the factors underlying non-compliance with the IMCI guidelines.

Characterization of consumption and costs of antimicrobials in intensive care units in a Brazilian tertiary hospital.

Background: The consumption of antimicrobials and the growing resistance of infectious agents to these drugs are not related only to health issues, but also to economic parameters. Objectives: The study objective was to evaluate the consumption of antimicrobials in General and Covid-19 Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and the impact on institutional costs in the largest institute of a tertiary public hospital. Methods: This is a quantitative and retrospective study, which analyzed consumption, through the Defined Daily Dose (DDD), and the annual direct cost of antimicrobials in Reais (R$) and Dollars (US$), from January to December 2021. Results: The total annual consumption (DDD/1000 patient-day) of antimicrobials in the ICUs was 14,368.85. ß-Lactams had the highest total annual value, with a DDD/1000 patient-day of 7062.98, being meropenem the antimicrobial that reached the highest consumption (3107.20), followed by vancomycin (2322.6). Total consumption was higher in Covid-19 ICUs than in General ICUs, and the annual direct cost of antimicrobials in ICUs was US$560,680.79. Conclusions: The study showed high consumption of broad-spectrum antimicrobials, highlighting the importance of structuring programs to manage the use of antimicrobials, both to reduce antimicrobial consumption and hospital costs, consolidating rational use even in pandemic scenarios.

Dispensación de antibióticos en un instituto de seguridad social universitario. Corrientes, Argentina. 2020

Objetivo Caracterizar la dispensa de antibióticos a pacientes ambulatorios en un instituto de seguridad social universitario durante el año 2020. Método Se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo-correlacional de utilización de medicamentos. Para cuantificar la dispensa, se utilizó la dosis diaria definida (DDD) por 1 000 habitantes por día (DHD) y la unidad de dosis, recomendadas por la Organización Mundial de la Salud (OMS), y el valor intrínseco terapéutico potencial como indicador cualitativo, según Laporte y Tognoni. Resultados Se incluyeron 4 748 dispensaciones ambulatorias. Edad promedio: 42 años; rango: 0-94 años, con predominio del sexo femenino (55%). La mayoría pertenecían al grupo de las penicilinas (51,3%) con predominio de amoxicilina en asociaciones a dosis fija o como monofármaco (48,3%), seguida por los macrólidos (21,0%) y las fluoroquinolonas (17,0%). Se pudo apreciar un consumo potencial de 7,7 DHD, lo cual implica que, en promedio, 7 de cada 1 000 afiliados de la institución estuvo expuesto a estos agentes diariamente, con predominio de amoxicilina asociada a ácido clavulánico (2,2 DHD). Conclusión La población general de universitarios estuvo expuesta a una prescripción alta de amoxicilina en asociaciones a dosis fijas, algunas de valor inaceptable o relativa, así como también a los nuevos macrólidos y fluoroquinolonas de segunda y tercera generación. Esto requiere especial atención, porque el consumo indiscriminado a nivel ambulatorio de antibióticos de amplio espectro podría convertirse en un factor de riesgo para el desarrollo de resistencia bacteriana; implica, además, un riesgo en la aparición de eventos adversos serios y un incremento en el gasto sanitario.

Objective To characterize the dispensing of antibiotics to outpatients of a university social security institute during the year 2020. Methods An observational, descriptive-correlational study of drug use was carried out. To quantify the dispensation, the defined daily dose (DDD) per 1 000 inhabitants per day (DHD) and the dose unit, recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), were used. The classification of potential therapeutic intrinsic value, by Laporte and Tognoni, was used as a qualitative indicator. Results A total of 4 748 outpatient dispensations of antibiotics were included, 55% for the female sex. Average age: 42 years; range: 0-94 years. The majority belonged to the penicillin group (51.3%) with a predominance of amoxicillin (48.3%) in fixed-dose associations or mono-drug, followed by macrolides (21.0%) and fluoroquinolones (17.0%). A potential consumption of 7.7 DHD was observed, which implies that, on average, 7 out of every 1 000 members of the institution were exposed to these agents daily with a predominance of amoxicillin associated with clavulanic acid (2.2 DHD). Conclusion The general population of university students was exposed to high fixed-dose associations prescription of amoxicillin, some of relative or unacceptable potential therapeutic intrinsic value, as well as to the new macrolides and second or third generation of fluoroquinolones. This requires special attention because the indiscriminate outpatient use of broad-spectrum antibiotics could become a risk factor for the development of bacterial resistance. It also implies a higher risk of serious adverse events and an increase in healthcare costs.

Review of management priorities for invasive infections in people who inject drugs: highlighting the need for patient-centred multidisciplinary care.

There has been a global increase in the burden of invasive infections in people who inject drugs (PWID). It is essential that patient-centred multidisciplinary care is provided in the management of these infections to engage PWID in care and deliver evidence-based management and preventive strategies. The multidisciplinary team should include infectious diseases, addictions medicine (inclusive of alcohol and other drug services), surgery, psychiatry, pain specialists, pharmacy, nursing staff, social work and peer support workers (where available) to help address the comorbid conditions that may have contributed to the patient's presentation. PWID have a range of antimicrobial delivery options that can be tailored in a patient-centred manner and thus are not limited to prolonged hospital admissions to receive intravenous antimicrobials for invasive infections. These options include discharge with outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy, long-acting lipoglycopeptides (dalbavancin and oritavancin) and early oral antimicrobials. Open and respectful discussion with PWID including around harm reduction strategies may decrease the risk of repeat presentations with injecting-related harms.

Is Prehospital Assessment of qSOFA Parameters Associated with Earlier Targeted Sepsis Therapy? A Retrospective Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to determine whether prehospital qSOFA (quick sequential organ failure assessment) assessment was associated with a shortened 'time to antibiotics' and 'time to intravenous fluid resuscitation' compared with standard assessment. METHODS: This retrospective study included patients who were referred to our Emergency Department between 2014 and 2018 by emergency medical services, in whom sepsis was diagnosed during hospitalization. Two multivariable regression models were fitted, with and without qSOFA parameters, for 'time to antibiotics' (primary endpoint) and 'time to intravenous fluid resuscitation'. RESULTS: In total, 702 patients were included. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that antibiotics and intravenous fluids were initiated earlier if infections were suspected and emergency medical services involved emergency physicians. A heart rate above 90/min was associated with a shortened time to antibiotics. If qSOFA parameters were added to the models, a respiratory rate ≥ 22/min and altered mentation were independent predictors for earlier antibiotics. A systolic blood pressure ≤ 100 mmHg and altered mentation were independent predictors for earlier fluids. When qSOFA parameters were added, the explained variability of the model increased by 24% and 38%, respectively (adjusted R² 0.106 versus 0.131 for antibiotics and 0.117 versus 0.162 for fluids). CONCLUSION: Prehospital assessment of qSOFA parameters was associated with a shortened time to a targeted sepsis therapy.

Assessment of Knowledge Regarding Safety Profile, Use, and Boxed Warnings of Fluoroquinolones Among Healthcare Professionals in Saudi Arabia: A Potential Implication for Drug Regulatory Authorities.

Background: Despite a series of "boxed warnings" (BWs) issued by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), fluoroquinolones (FQs) are among the most prescribed antibiotics across the world. Moreover, few studies demonstrated that BW of FQs had less or no impact on prescribing patterns among healthcare professionals (HCPs), which might be attributed to the lack of knowledge toward such warnings. Since FQs contribute to a major proportion of antimicrobial prescriptions in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), this study aimed to ascertain the extent of knowledge toward safety profile, use, and BW of FQs among HCPs working in the KSA. Methods: This cross-sectional study (May-August 2021) was conducted among HCPs working in KSA through a validated questionnaire. The HCPs were requested to identify the indications, adverse effects (AEs), and BW of FQs. The knowledge score (out of 40) was estimated among participants, and its association with demographics was ascertained through the chi-square test, Student's t-test, or Mann-Whitney U-test and one-way ANOVA, or Kruskal-Wallis test, where appropriate. Results: Of the 573 participants (age: 36.1 ± 10.6 years, men: 59.7%), 262 (45.8%) were prescribers reporting frequent use of ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin, and ofloxacin. One-fourth (25.6%) of the prescribers did not recognize nalidixic acid as an agent from FQs class. About 60% of participants correctly identified the mechanism of action of FQs. The average knowledge score was 14.8 ± 6.4, where only 21.5% of respondents scored ≥50%. The average knowledge score for indications, AEs, and BW domains was 5.29 ± 3.05, 6.17 ± 4.05, and 2.3 ± 1.5, respectively. Only 75 (13.1%) participants recognized half of the BW, and 38.6% of participants identified at least one warning. The HCPs aged >40 years (p = 0.043), having non-Saudi's nationality (p < 0.001), working in Riyadh and Eastern regions (p < 0.001), having pharmacy and medicine disciplines (p < 0.001), practicing in public sectors (p = 0.004), and having more than 10 years of experience (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with high knowledge score. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the unsatisfactory knowledge toward safety profile, use, and BW of FQs among HCPs which may put patients at increased risks of AEs. The knowledge score differed among various socio-demographic groups. There is a dire need to initiate the antimicrobial-focused educational campaigns among HCPs regardless of their specialties and methods to improve education and disseminate FDA warnings in practice.

Behavioral Economics and Ambulatory Antibiotic Stewardship: A Narrative Review.

PURPOSE: Behavioral economics recognizes that contextual, psychological, social, and emotional factors powerfully influence decision-making. Behavioral economics has the potential to provide a better understanding of, and, through subtle environmental changes, or "nudges," improve persistent quality-of-care challenges, like ambulatory antibiotic overprescribing. Despite decades of admonitions and educational initiatives, in the United States, up to 50% of ambulatory antibiotic prescriptions remain inappropriate or not associated with a diagnosis. METHODS: We conducted a Medline search and performed a narrative review that examined the use of behavioral economics to understand the rationale for, and improvement of, ambulatory antibiotic prescribing. FINDINGS: Clinicians prescribe antibiotics inappropriately because of perceived patient demand, to maintain patient satisfaction, diagnostic uncertainty, or time pressure, among other reasons. Behavioral economics-informed approaches offer additional improvements in antibiotic prescribing beyond clinician education and communication training. Precommitment, in which clinicians publicize their intent to prescribe antibiotics "only when they are absolutely necessary," leverages clinicians' self-conception and a desire to act in a manner consistent with public statements. Precommitment was associated with a 20% absolute reduction in the inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory infections. Justification alerts, in which clinicians must provide a brief written rationale for prescribing antibiotics, leverages social accountability, redefines the status quo as an active choice, and helps clinicians to shift from fast to slow, careful thinking. With justification alerts, the absolute rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing decreased from 23% to 5%. Peer comparison, in which clinicians receive feedback comparing their performance to their top-performing peers, provides evidence of improved performance and leverages peoples' desire to conform to social norms. Peer comparison decreased absolute inappropriate antibiotic prescribing rates from 20% to 4%, a decrease that persisted for 12 months after the end of the intervention. Also, a one-time peer-comparison letter from a high-profile messenger to primary care practices with high rates of prescribing antibiotics, there was a 6-month, 3% decrease inantibiotic prescribing. Future directions in applying behavioral economics to the inappropriate antibiotic prescribing include paying careful attention to design details; improving intervention effectiveness and durability; making harms salient; participants' involvement in the development of interventions (the "Ikea effect"); factoring in patient satisfaction; and patient-facing nudges about antibiotic use and care-seeking. In addition, the COVID pandemic could aid in ambulatory antibiotic prescribing improvements due to changing cognitive frames around respiratory symptom evaluation and antibiotic prescribing. IMPLICATIONS: To improve ambulatory antibiotic prescribing, several behavioral economics-informed approaches-especially precommitment, justification alerts, and peer comparison-have reduced the rates of inappropriate prescribing of antibiotics to low levels.

The use of antimicrobial-impregnated fabrics in health services: an integrative review / Utilização de têxteis impregnados com antimicrobianos nos serviços de saúde: revisão integrativa / Utilización de textiles impregnados con antimicrobianos en los servicios sanitarios: revisión integradora

Objective: to analyze evidence concerning the feasibility of antimicrobial-impregnated fabrics in preventing and controlling microbial transmission in health services. Method: an integrative review using the following databases: MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus, and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), regardless of language and date of publication. Seven studies were included in the analysis to verify the types of fabrics and substances used to impregnate the fabrics, applicability in health services, and decrease in microbial load. Results: silver nanoparticles and copper oxide are the main antimicrobial substances used to impregnate the fabrics. The patients' use of these fabrics, such as in bed and bath linens and clothing, was more effective in reducing antimicrobial load than in health workers' uniforms. Conclusion: the use of these antimicrobial-impregnated textiles, especially by patients, is a viable alternative to prevent and control microbial transmission in health services. Implementing these fabrics in health workers' uniforms requires further studies, however, to verify its effectiveness in decreasing microbial load in clinical practice.

Objetivo: analisar as evidências existentes sobre a viabilidade de utilizar têxteis impregnados com substâncias antimicrobianas na prevenção e no controle da transmissão microbiana em serviços de saúde. Método: revisão integrativa, utilizando as bases de dados MEDLINE (via PubMed), Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus e Literatura Latino-Americana em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), sem restrição de idioma e período de publicação. Após a busca na literatura científica, foram selecionados sete estudos para análise quanto ao tipo de têxtil e substância utilizada para a impregnação, a aplicabilidade no serviço de saúde e a redução da carga microbiana. Resultados: nanopartículas de prata e óxido de cobre foram as principais substâncias antimicrobianas utilizadas para a impregnação de têxteis. A utilização desses têxteis pelos pacientes, como roupas de hotelaria e vestuário, mostrou maior eficácia na redução da carga microbiana em comparação ao uso como uniforme por profissionais de saúde. Conclusão: a utilização de têxteis impregnados com substâncias antimicrobianas, sobretudo pelos pacientes, pode ser considerada uma alternativa viável na prevenção e no controle da transmissão microbiana nos serviços de saúde. Todavia, a implementação destes têxteis, como uniforme para profissionais de saúde, ainda necessita de maiores investigações quanto à redução da carga microbiana na prática clínica.

Objetivo: analizar las evidencias existentes sobre la viabilidad de utilizar textiles impregnados con sustancias antimicrobianas en la prevención y control de la transmisión microbiana en servicios sanitarios. Método: revisión integradora, utilizando las bases de dados MEDLINE (vía PubMed), Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Scopus y Literatura Latino-Americana em Ciências da Saúde (LILACS), sin restricción de idioma y período de publicación. Después de la búsqueda en la literatura científica, fueron seleccionados siete estudios para análisis en cuanto al tipo de textil y sustancia utilizada para impregnación, aplicabilidad en el servicio sanitario y reducción de la carga microbiana. Resultados: nanopartículas de plata y óxido de cobre fueron las principales sustancias antimicrobianas utilizadas para la impregnación de textiles. La utilización de esos textiles por los pacientes, como ropa de hotel y ropa, demostró mayor eficacia en la reducción de la carga microbiana en comparación al uso como uniforme por profesionales sanitarios. Conclusión: la utilización de textiles impregnados con sustancias antimicrobianas, sobre todo por los pacientes, puede ser considerada una alternativa viable en la prevención y control de la transmisión microbiana en los servicios sanitarios. Sin embargo, la implementación de estos textiles como uniforme para profesionales de la salud todavía necesita de mayores investigaciones en cuanto a la reducción de la carga microbiana en la práctica clínica.

Does an antimicrobial stewardship program for Carbapenem use reduce Costs? An observation in Tehran, Iran.

BACKGROUND: Inappropriate administering of antimicrobials has led to increased antibiotic resistance as well as burden of infectious diseases. Antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) help prevent resistance through improved utilization of antimicrobial agents while potentially decrease costs of treatment. METHODS: We reviewed 186 infectious disease (ID) consultations from two internal disease wards in a tertiary center where ID specialists were asked to confirm carbapenem use in patients within 48 hours of initiation. The records were reviewed in terms of age, gender, and final decision about carbapenem use. The crude mortality rates during the 5-month period of the study (May to September 2016) as well as hospital spendings were compared with the same time of the year before the implementation of the ASP. RESULTS: Of the 186 consultations conducted by the ID specialists, 28 (15%) consultations led to antibiotic change, 46 (25%) led to discontinuation, while 112 (60%) carbapenems were continued. An estimate of 14,000 € was saved based on the annual hospital costs during the 5-month period of the study. Although antimicrobial resistance patterns could not be evaluated, the crude mortality rate in the two IM wards was calculated to be 2.6% with no significant change compared to previous year (CMR: 2.9%). CONCLUSION: Based on findings of the present study, ASPs for carbapenems (as wide-spectrum agents) can lower costs with no increased mortality rates in a tertiary center located in a middle-income country.

Determination of Antimicrobial Prescribing Practices in an Integrated Health System Emergency Department.

INTRODUCTION: Antibiotic stewardship utilizes interprofessional collaborative practices, including professionals from medicine, pharmacy, nursing, social services, and clinical laboratory science, to identify potential problems proactively. A tertiary care integrated health system's Emergency Department (ED) aimed to identify antimicrobials prescribed to the outpatient community as part of a proactive antimicrobial stewardship project. METHODS: A pilot, prospective, snapshot of a tertiary community hospital's outpatient antimicrobial prescribing habits was conducted. All subjects were identified via a daily report of patients discharged from the ED over 30 days in the summer of 2017 and individually reviewed for prescribed antimicrobial(s). Exclusions were hospital admission, antimicrobial sensitivity, and antimicrobial courses less than five days or more than 14 days. The primary goal was determining the number of antimicrobial oral tablets/capsule prescriptions to adult outpatients within a 5 to 14-day treatment window. Secondary goals were to include the diagnosis, non-capsule/tablet antimicrobial, pediatric patients, and prescriptions outside the treatment window. RESULTS: Total number of antimicrobial prescriptions over the 30-day period was 653 in 5,520 individual visits. Total number of adults prescribed oral antimicrobials was 467 (15.6 daily). Patients were diagnosed with infections including urinary tract, cellulitis, soft tissue injury, abscess, upper respiratory, dental caries, gastrointestinal, sexually transmitted, otitis media/externa, pneumonia, viral, pyelonephritis, tick-borne, fungal, Bell's Palsy, and sepsis. The number of non-adult, non-oral, and outside window treatment antimicrobial prescriptions were 186 (6.2 daily). With an average 184 patients treated in the ED daily, approximately 11.8% received antimicrobial treatment on discharge. CONCLUSION: Important aspects of the project were the evaluation of antimicrobial prescribing habits for a midwest ED and identification of potential complications requiring future interventions for follow-up or preventative measures to assist in patient care and community health. Areas of practice improvement were identified inadvertently as a result of this project. Potential future studies included seasonal variability, whether the patient obtained a prescription and complied with treatment, and differences between inpatient and outpatient antimicrobial prescribing practices.

Assessment of anti-infective medication adherence in pediatric outpatients.

The objective of this pilot study was to assess the overall adherence rate of the pediatric population to anti-infective drugs prescribed for acute infection at hospital discharge and to identify risk factors for non-adherence behavior. Pediatric patients discharged from a French university hospital with at least one oral drug prescription for acute infection were included for 3 months. Medication adherence and antibiotic knowledge were assessed through data collected by calling the parents. Overall adherence was assessed according to seven items: medication order filling, administered dose, time of intake, frequency of doses, medication omission, dose modification, and length of treatment. Seventy-five patients were included, and 63 interviews were exploited. The median age was 1.4 years, IQR = [0.7; 3.3]. Overall adherence to anti-infective agents concerned 34.9% of patients. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were amoxicillin (29.3%), amoxicillin associated with clavulanic acid (25.3%), cotrimoxazole (18.7%), and cefixime (12.0%). A lack of parents' anti-infective knowledge was associated with non-adherence to anti-infective drugs.Conclusion: Two-thirds of outpatients were non-adherent to anti-infectives in acute infectious diseases. The misunderstanding of anti-infective treatment could be a risk factor for non-adherence. Implementation of preventive actions such as therapeutic education or pharmaceutical counseling at hospital discharge could improve adherence to anti-infective agents. What Is Known: • Non-adherence to anti-infective drugs involves the emergence and spread of antibiotic resistance. • Very few studies have assessed medication adherence in acute infectious diseases in pediatrics after hospital discharge. What Is New: • Only 35% of children were overall adherent to anti-infective drugs in acute infectious disease after hospital discharge. • Most patients (89%) had a good primary adherence but very few (40%) had good secondary adherence mainly due to dose omission and dose modification.

Urinary tract infections in Australian aged care homes: Antibiotic prescribing practices and concordance to national guidelines.

BACKGROUND: Since 2015 the Aged Care National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey has collected and reported data on antibiotic use in Australian aged care homes (ACHs) as part of the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care's Antimicrobial Use and Resistance in Australia project. The objective of this study was to analyze this data source with regards to prescribing for urinary tract infections (UTIs) to improve the use of antibiotics. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed the 2016 and 2017 survey data. Antibiotic prescribing for urinary tract indications was compared with national guideline recommendations. RESULTS: A total of 662 antibiotic prescriptions from 247 ACHs were analyzed. For all prophylactic antibiotics for UTI, 51.8% were prescribed for longer than 6 months, contrary to the guideline recommendation. Most antibiotics prescribed for treatment (71.6%) were for cystitis. Cefalexin was most frequently selected for treatment of cystitis, with 10.4% of these prescriptions being concordant with the recommendations. Prescribing additional daily doses of cefalexin occurred in 63.2% of prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS: Antimicrobial stewardship activities targeting UTI prophylaxis for durations longer than 6 months, and excessive daily doses of cefalexin to treat cystitis could yield significant reductions in unnecessary antibiotic consumption among Australian residents of ACHs.

Comparative Effect of Two Red Lights on Streptococcus mutans Biofilms and Assessment of Temperature Variances in Human Teeth During In Vitro Photodynamic Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.

Objective: The goals of this investigation were to compare the effect of photodynamic antimicrobial chemotherapy (PACT) with two different red lights on in vitro Streptococcus mutans biofilms, as well as to assess the temperature variances caused by PACT on human teeth. Methods: S. mutans biofilms (n = 3) were grown on hydroxyapatite disks, and the antimicrobial effect of PACT was evaluated using toluidine blue O (100 µg/mL) associated with Laserbeam® (LB 56.6 J/cm2) and LumaCare™ (LC -56.6, 158.5, 317.0, and 475.6 J/cm2). Pulpal temperature variances were analyzed using a digital thermocouple placed into the pulp chamber and positioned at the cement-enamel junction level of five teeth samples during irradiation times of 300, 600, and 900 sec for LB, and 22, 60, 120, and 180 sec for LC. The mean average temperature variance was calculated for each group. All data were analyzed through analysis of variance. Results: LB (900 sec) and LC (22 sec) induced similar reductions in the viability of microorganisms. LB did not cause statistically significant increase of temperature, regardless of experimental time, and LC caused temperature increase within the safe spectrum up to 60 sec. Conclusions: PACT seems to be a minimal invasive approach for reducing the viability of cariogenic bacteria. Thus, when applied in vitro for times equal or inferior to 900 and 60 sec for LB and LC, respectively, these light sources might be considered harmless to tooth structures.

[Triclosan-coated sutures in colorectal surgery : Assessment and meta-analysis of the recommendations of the WHO guideline]. / Triclosan-beschichtete Nahtmaterialien in der kolorektalen Chirurgie : Bewertung und Metaanalyse zu den Empfehlungen der WHO-Richtlinie.

BACKGROUND: In the global guidelines for the prevention of surgical site infections (SSI), the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the general use of triclosan-coated sutures irrespective of the type of surgical intervention. OBJECTIVE: Can this recommendation on the use of triclosan-coated sutures be confirmed by a meta-analysis specifically for colorectal surgery? METHODS: Randomized and non-randomized clinical trials comparing triclosan-coated and uncoated sutures for the efficacy in reducing the SSI rate in colorectal surgery were identified by a systematic literature review. In addition, various quality criteria were set for the studies to be included: SSI definition according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a priori sample size calculation and a maximum SSI rate of 20%. The odds ratios were pooled using a fixed and random effects model, the 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated and subgroup analyses were carried out. RESULTS: Included in the meta-analysis were 3 prospective randomized trials (RCT) and 3 non-randomized trials involving a total of 2957 subjects. The average SSI rate was 6.90% (76/1101) in the triclosan group and 9.11% (169/1856) in the control group, resulting in an odds ratio of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.29-1.31). Subgroup analysis showed a decreased risk for SSI in monocentric trials (OR = 0.39, 95% CI: 0.25-0.60) but an increased SSI risk in multicenter trials (OR = 1.75, 95% CI: 1.11-2.77). CONCLUSION: Against the background of a moderate to high risk of bias and the partially contradictory findings of the studies, the general recommendation of the WHO on the use of triclosan-coated sutures for colorectal surgery could not be confirmed.

Cost-utility analysis of outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) in the Brazilian national health system.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) has been used for decades in different countries to reduce hospitalization rates, with favorable clinical and economic outcomes. This study assesses the cost-utility of OPAT compared to inpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (IPAT) from the perspective of a public university hospital and the Brazilian National Health System (Unified Health System -SUS). METHODS: Prospective study with adult patients undergoing OPAT at an infusion center, compared to IPAT. Clinical outcomes and quality-adjusted life year (QALY) were assessed, as well as a micro-costing. Cost-utility analysis from the hospital and SUS perspectives were conducted by means of a decision tree, within a 30-day horizon time. RESULTS: Forty cases of OPAT (1112 days) were included and monitored, with a favorable outcome in 97.50%. OPAT compared to IPAT generated overall savings of 31.86% from the hospital perspective and 26.53% from the SUS perspective. The intervention reduced costs, with an incremental cost-utility ratio of -44,395.68/QALY for the hospital and -48,466.70/QALY for the SUS, with better cost-utility for treatment times greater than 14 days. Sensitivity analysis confirmed the stability of the model. CONCLUSION: Our economic assessment demonstrated that, in the Brazilian context, OPAT is a cost-saving strategy both for hospitals and for the SUS.

Economic burden of inpatients infected with Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase / Impacto econômico do tratamento de pacientes infectados com Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase

ABSTRACT Objective: To estimate the direct medical costs of drug therapy of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) infection patients in hospital-based context. Methods: A cost-of-illness study conducted with a prospective cohort design with hospitalized adults infected by KPC. Data collection was performed using an instrument composed of sociodemographic data, clinical and prescription medication. Estimates of the direct costs associated to each treatment were derived from the payer's perspective, in the case of federal public hospitals from Brazil, and included only drug costs. These costs were based on the average price available at the Brazilian Price Database Health. No discount rate was used for the cost of drugs. The costs are calculate in American Dollar (US$). Results: A total of 120 inpatients participated of this study. The total drug cost of these inpatients was US$ 367,680.85. The systemic antimicrobial group was responsible for 59.5% of total costs. The direct drug cost per patients infected by KPC was conservatively estimated at nearly US$ 4,100.00, and about of 60% of costs occurred during the period of infection. Conclusion: The findings of our study indicate a thoughtful economic hazard posed by KPC that all healthcare sectors have to face. The increasing worldwide incidence of these bacteria represents a growing burden that most health systems are unable to deal with. There is an imperative need to develop protocols and new antimicrobials to treatment of KPC, aiming to rearrange resources to increase the effectiveness of healthcare services.

RESUMO Objetivo: Estimar os custos médicos diretos da terapia medicamentosa de pacientes com infecção por carbapenemase por Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC) em contexto hospitalar. Métodos: Estudo de custo de doença realizado com desenho de coorte prospectiva, com adultos hospitalizados infectados por KPC. A coleta de dados foi realizada usando instrumento composto por dados sociodemográficos, medicamentos clínicos e prescritos. As estimativas dos custos diretos associados a cada tratamento foram derivadas da perspectiva dos pagadores, no caso dos hospitais públicos federais do Brasil, e incluíram apenas custos de medicamentos, os quais basearam-se no preço médio disponível na Price Database Health do Brasil. Nenhuma taxa de desconto foi utilizada para o custo dos medicamentos. Os custos foram calculados em dólares norte-americanos (US$). Resultados: Um total de 120 pacientes hospitalizados participou do estudo. O custo total da droga desses pacientes internados foi de US$ 367,680.85. O grupo antimicrobianos de uso sistêmico foi responsável por 59,5% dos custos totais. O custo direto estimado de forma conservadora, por paciente, foi de aproximadamente US$ 4,100.00, e cerca de 60% destes se deram durante o período de infecção. Conclusão: Os achados deste estudo apontam um risco econômico importante relacionado a KPC, o qual todos os setores de saúde terão que enfrentar. A incidência mundial em elevação destas bactérias representa carga crescente, e a maioria dos sistemas de saúde é incapaz de resolvê-la. Há necessidade imperativa de se desenvolverem protocolos e novos antimicrobianos para o tratamento de KPC, com o objetivo de reorganizar os recursos para aumentar a efetividade dos serviços de saúde.