Use of the DMAIC Lean Six Sigma quality improvement framework to improve beta-lactam antibiotic adequacy in the critically ill.

Beta-lactam antibiotics are widely used in the intensive care unit due to their favorable effectiveness and safety profiles. Beta-lactams given to patients with sepsis must be delivered as soon as possible after infection recognition (early), treat the suspected organism (appropriate), and be administered at a dose that eradicates the infection (adequate). Early and appropriate antibiotic delivery occurs in >90% of patients, but less than half of patients with sepsis achieve adequate antibiotic exposure. This project aimed to address this quality gap and improve beta-lactam adequacy using the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control Lean Six Sigma quality improvement framework. A multidisciplinary steering committee was formed, which completed a stakeholder analysis to define the gap in practice. An Ishikawa cause and effect (Fishbone) diagram was used to identify the root causes and an impact/effort grid facilitated prioritization of interventions. An intervention that included bundled education with the use of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM; i.e. drug-level testing) was projected to have the highest impact relative to the amount of effort and selected to address beta-lactam inadequacy in the critically ill. The education and TDM intervention were deployed through a Plan, Do, Study, Act cycle. In the 3 months after "go-live," 54 episodes of beta-lactam TDM occurred in 41 unique intensive care unit patients. The primary quality metric of beta-lactam adequacy was achieved in 94% of individuals after the intervention. Ninety-four percent of clinicians gauged the education provided as sufficient. The primary counterbalance of antimicrobial days of therapy, a core antimicrobial stewardship metric, was unchanged over time (favorable result; P = .73). Application of the Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control Lean Six Sigma quality improvement framework effectively improved beta-lactam adequacy in critically ill patients. The approach taken in this quality improvement project is widely generalizable to other drugs, drug classes, or settings to increase the adequacy of drug exposure.

Pediatric Utilization of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nasal Swabs for Antimicrobial Stewardship.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) can cause serious infections and empiric treatment regimens in children frequently include an anti-MRSA antibiotic. Studies in adults have demonstrated a high negative predictive value (NPV) of MRSA nasal swabs (MNS) in a variety of infectious syndromes. Negative MNS have been utilized as a tool to guide de-escalation of anti-MRSA antibiotics in adults, especially in those with lower respiratory tract infections, but data in children is minimal. The primary objective of this study was to determine the NPV and positive predictive value (PPV) of MNS in children hospitalized for treatment of an infection. METHODS: This was a single-site, retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients admitted with a suspected infectious diagnosis who had an MNS performed during their hospitalization between June 1, 2018 and November 25, 2022. RESULTS: This study identified 172 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Eleven (6.4%) nasal swabs were positive for MRSA and 10 (5.8%) microbiological cultures from suspected sources of infection were identified to be positive for MRSA. The MNS was found to have a sensitivity of 20%, specificity of 94%, PPV of 18% and NPV of 95% for all sites of infection. CONCLUSION: MNS has a high NPV and low PPV in children. MNS can be utilized as an antimicrobial stewardship tool to guide the safe de-escalation of anti-MRSA antibiotics in children.