Early-career general practitioners' antibiotic prescribing for acute infections: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Antimicrobial resistance is a worldwide threat, exacerbated by inappropriate prescribing. Most antibiotic prescribing occurs in primary care. Early-career GPs are important for the future of antibiotic prescribing and curbing antimicrobial resistance. OBJECTIVES: To determine antibiotic prescribing patterns by early-career GPs for common acute infections. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed, Embase and Scopus. Two authors independently screened abstracts and full texts for inclusion. Primary outcomes were antibiotic prescribing rates for common acute infections by GPs with experience of 10 years or less. Secondary outcomes were any associations between working experience and antibiotic prescribing. RESULTS: Of 1483 records retrieved, we identified 41 relevant studies. Early-career GPs were less likely to prescribe antibiotics compared with their more experienced colleagues (OR range 0.23-0.67). Their antibiotic prescribing rates for 'any respiratory condition' ranged from 14.6% to 52%, and for upper respiratory tract infections from 13.5% to 33%. Prescribing for acute bronchitis varied by country, from 15.9% in Sweden to 26% in the USA and 63%-73% in Australia. Condition-specific data for all other included acute infections, such as sinusitis and acute otitis media, were limited to the Australian context. CONCLUSIONS: Early-career GPs prescribe fewer antibiotics than later-career GPs. However, there are still significant improvements to be made for common acute conditions, as their prescribing is higher than recommended benchmarks. Addressing antimicrobial resistance requires an ongoing worldwide effort and early-career GPs should be the target for long-term change.

Implementation of a novel vocal cord dysfunction management pathway using the consolidated framework for implementation research.

Every year in Australia over a thousand children who are born with congenital heart disease require surgical intervention. Vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) can be an unavoidable and potentially devastating complication of surgery for congenital heart disease. Structured, multidisciplinary care pathways help to guide clinical care and reduce mortality and morbidity. An implementation study was conducted to embed a novel, multidisciplinary management pathway into practice using the consolidated framework for implementation research (CFIR). The goal of the pathway was to prepare children with postoperative vocal cord dysfunction to safely commence and transition to oral feeding. Education sessions to support pathway rollout were completed with clinical stakeholders. Other implementation strategies used included adaptation of the pre-procedural pathway to obtain consent, improving the process of identifying patients on the VCD pathway, and nominating a small team who were responsible for the ongoing monitoring of patients following recruitment. Implementation success was evaluated according to compliance with pathway defined management. Our study found that while there were several barriers to pathway adoption, implementation of the pathway was feasible despite pathway adaptations that were required in response to COVID-19.

Cost-effectiveness analysis of doctor-pharmacist collaborative prescribing for venous thromboembolism in high risk surgical patients.

BACKGROUND: Current evidence to support cost effectiveness of doctor- pharmacist collaborative prescribing is limited. Our aim was to evaluate inpatient prescribing of venous thromboembolism (VTE) prophylaxis by a pharmacist in an elective surgery pre-admission clinic against usual care, to measure any benefits in cost to the healthcare system and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) of patients. METHOD: A decision tree model was developed to assess cost effectiveness of pharmacist prescribing compared with usual care for VTE prophylaxis in high risk surgical patients. Data from the literature was used to inform decision-tree probabilities, utility, and cost outcomes. In the intervention arm, a pharmacist prescribed patient's regular medications, documented a VTE risk assessment and prescribed VTE prophylaxis. In the usual care arm, resident medical officers were responsible for prescribing regular medications, and for risk assessment and prescribing of VTE prophylaxis. The base scenario assessed the cost effectiveness of a pre-existing pre-admission clinic pharmacy service that takes on a collaborative prescribing role. The alternative scenario assessed the benefits of introducing a pre-admission clinic pharmacy service where previously there had not been one. Probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted to explore uncertainty in the model. RESULTS: In both the base-case scenario and the alternative scenario pharmacist prescribing resulted in an increase in the proportion of patients adequately treated and a decrease in the incidence of VTE resulting in cost savings and improvement in quality of life. The cost savings were $31 (95% CI: -$97, $160) per patient in the base scenario and $12 (95% CI: -$131, $155) per patient in the alternative scenario. In both scenarios the pharmacist-doctor prescribing resulted in an increase in QALYs of 0.02 (95% CI: -0.01, 0.005) per patient. The probability of being cost effective at a willingness to pay off $40,000 was 95% in the base scenario and 94% in the alternative scenario. CONCLUSION: Delegation of the prescribing of VTE prophylaxis for high risk surgical patients to a pharmacist prescriber in PAC, as part of a designated scope of practice, would result in fewer cases of VTE and associated lower costs to the healthcare system and increased QALYs gained by patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Pre admission clinic study registered with ANZCTR-ACTR Number ACTRN12609000426280 .

Disease burden, associated mortality and economic impact of antimicrobial resistant infections in Australia.

Background: The growing spread of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is accepted as a threat to humans, animals and the environment. This threat is considered to be both country specific and global, with bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment geographically dispersed. Despite this, we have very few Australian estimates available that use national surveillance data supplemented with measures of risk, to generate reliable and actionable measures of AMR impact. These data are essential to direct policies and programs and support equitable healthcare resource utilisation. Importantly, such data can lead to implementation of programs to improved morbidity and mortality of patients with a resistant infection. Methods: Using data from a previous case-cohort study, we estimated the AMR-associated health and economic impact caused by five hospital-associated AMR pathogens (Enterococcus spp., E. coli, K. pneumoniae, P. aeruginosa and S. aureus) in patients with a bloodstream, urinary tract, or respiratory tract infection in Australia in 2020. We estimated disease burden based on the counterfactual scenario in which all AMR infections were replaced by no infection.We used a population-level simulation model to compute AMR-associated mortality, loss of quality-adjusted life years and costs. Findings: In 2020, there were 1,031 AMR-associated deaths (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 294, 2,615) from the five resistant hospital-associated infections in Australia. The greatest odds of dying were from respiratory infections (ceftazidime-resistant P. aeruginosa) and bloodstream infections, both resulting in high hospital and premature death costs. MRSA bacteraemia contributed the most to hospital costs (measured as bed-days) as patients with this infection resulted in additional 12,818 (95% UI 7246, 19966) hospital bed-days and cost the hospitals an extra $24,366,741 (95%UI $13,774,548, $37,954,686) per year. However, the cost of premature death from five resistant pathogens was $438,543,052, which was by far greater than the total hospital cost ($71,988,858). We estimate a loss of 27,705 quality-adjusted life years due to the five AMR pathogens. Interpretation: These are the first Australian estimates of AMR-associated health and economic impact. Country-level estimates of AMR impact are needed to provide local evidence to better inform programs and health policies to reduce morbidity and mortality associated with infection. The burden in hospital is likely an underestimate of the impact of AMR due to community-associated infections where data are limited, and the AMR burden is high. This should now be the focus of future study in this area. Funding: TMW was supported by the Australian Partnership for Preparedness Research on Infectious Disease Emergencies (APPRISE) (grant number GNT1116530) Fellowship.

Cost-Effectiveness of Interventions for Musculoskeletal Foot and Ankle Conditions: A Systematic Review.

OBJECTIVE: Musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle are common, yet the cost-effectiveness of the variety of treatments available is not well defined. The aim of this systematic review was therefore to identify, appraise, and synthesize the literature pertaining to the cost-effectiveness of interventions for musculoskeletal foot and ankle conditions. METHODS: Electronic databases were searched for studies presenting economic evaluations of nonsurgical and surgical treatments for acute or chronic musculoskeletal conditions of the foot and ankle. Data on cost, incremental cost-effectiveness, and quality-adjusted life years for each intervention and comparison were extracted. Risk of bias was assessed using the Drummond checklist for economic studies (range 0-35). RESULTS: Thirty-six studies were identified reporting nonsurgical interventions (n = 10), nonsurgical versus surgical interventions (n = 14), and surgical interventions (n = 12). The most common conditions were osteoarthritis, ankle fracture, and Achilles tendon rupture. The strongest economic evaluations were for interventions managing end-stage ankle osteoarthritis, ankle sprain, ankle fracture, calcaneal fracture, and Achilles tendon rupture. Total ankle replacement and ankle arthrodesis for end-stage ankle osteoarthritis, in particular, have been demonstrated through high-quality studies to be cost-effective compared to the nonsurgical alternative. CONCLUSION: Selected interventions for musculoskeletal foot and ankle conditions dominate comparators, whereas others require thoughtful consideration as they provide better clinical improvements, but at an increased cost. Researchers should consider measuring and reporting costs alongside clinical outcome to provide context when determining the appropriateness of interventions for other foot and ankle symptoms to best inform future clinical practice guidelines.

The Australia and New Zealand Congenital Outcomes Registry for Surgery (ANZCORS): methodology and preliminary results.

BACKGROUND: Analysis of multi-institutional data and benchmarking is an accepted accreditation standard in cardiac surgery. Such a database does not exist for congenital cardiac surgery in Australia and New Zealand (ANZ). To fill this gap, the ANZ Congenital Outcomes Registry for Surgery (ANZCORS) was established in 2017. METHODS: Inclusion criteria included all cardiothoracic and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) procedures performed at five participating centres. Data was collected by data managers, validated by the surgical team, and securely transmitted to a central repository. RESULTS: Between 2015 and 2019, 9723 procedures were performed in 7003 patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass was utilized for 59% and 9% were ECMO procedures. Fifty-seven percent (n = 5531) of the procedures were performed in children younger than 1 year of age. Twenty-four percent of procedures (n = 2365) were performed in neonates (≤28 days) and 33% (n = 3166) were performed in children aged 29 days to 1 year (infants). The 30-day mortality for cardiac cases (n = 6572) was 1.3% and there was no statistical difference between the participating centres (P = 0.491). Sixty-nine percent of cases had no major post-operative complications (5121/7456). For cardiopulmonary bypass procedures (n = 5774), median stay in intensive care and hospital was 2 days (IQR 1, 4) and 9 days (IQR 5, 18), respectively. CONCLUSION: ANZCORS has facilitated pooled data analysis for paediatric cardiac surgery across ANZ for the first time. Overall mortality was low. Non-risk-adjusted 30-day mortality for individual procedures was similar in all units. The continued evaluation of surgical outcomes through ANZCORS will drive quality assessment in paediatric cardiac surgery across ANZ.

Vocal cord dysfunction after pediatric cardiac surgery: A prospective implementation study.

Objective: To determine the incidence, outcomes, and evaluate diagnostic modalities for postoperative vocal cord dysfunction (VCD) following cardiothoracic surgery in children. Methods: A prospective mixed-methods study using principles of implementation science was completed. All patients undergoing surgery involving the aortic arch, ductus, or ligamentum arteriosum and vascular rings from September 2019 to December 2020 were enrolled. Patients underwent speech pathology assessment, laryngeal ultrasound, and flexible direct laryngoscopy. Results: Ninety-five patients were eligible for inclusion. The incidence of VCD ranged from 18% to 56% and varied according to procedure group. VCD occurred in 42% of neonates. Repair of hypoplastic aortic arch was associated with increased risk of VCD (57%; P = .002). There was no significant difference in duration of intubation, pediatric intensive care unit stay, or hospital stay. Forty percent children were able to achieve full oral feeding. Children with VCD were more likely to require nasogastric supplementary feeding at discharge (60% vs 36%; P = .044). Sixty-eight percent of patients demonstrated complete resolution of VCD at a median of 97 days postoperatively. Laryngeal ultrasound and speech pathology assessment combined had a sensitivity of 91% in comparison to flexible direct laryngoscopy. Conclusions: VCD occurred in one-third and resolved in two-thirds of patients at a median of 3 months following cardiac surgery. Aortic arch repair carried the highest risk of VCD. VCD adversely influenced feeding. Forty percent of patients achieved full oral feeding before discharge. VCD did not delay intensive care unit or hospital discharge. Speech pathology assessment and laryngeal ultrasound combined was reliable for diagnosis in most patients and was more patient friendly than flexible direct laryngoscopy.