Impact of Adding a Rapid PCR-Based Blood Culture Identification Panel to the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program of Patients with Febrile Neutropenia in a Peruvian Referral Hospital.

The addition of Biofire® FilmArray® Blood Culture Identification panel 2 (BCID2) to the antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) could improve outcomes in bloodstream infections (BSI) of patients with febrile neutropenia (FN). A pre- and post-quasi-experimental single-center study was conducted at a reference hospital in Peru. Three groups were considered: patients with BSI before ASP intervention (control group), patients with BSI after ASP intervention (group 1), and patients with BSI after ASP intervention plus BCID2 PCR Panel implementation (group 2). Overall, 93 patients were identified (32 control, 30 group 1, 31 group 2). The median time to effective therapy was significantly shorter in group 2 compared to group 1 and control group, respectively (3.75 vs. 10 h, p = 0.004; 3.75 vs. 19 h, p < 0.001). No significant differences in terms of relapse of bacteremia, in-hospital mortality (all cause), and 30-day-all-cause hospital readmission between the three study periods were found. The appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial use, adding or change, and the following de-escalation or discontinuation was significant when the two intervention periods were compared with the control group (p < 0.001). In addition to the lack of local studies documenting the microbiological profile of FN episodes, adding syndromic panels-based testing could allow for the consolidation of ASP strategies.

A single-institution, 20-year prospective experience with an affordable Fc-receptor blockade method to treat patients with chronic, refractory autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura.

In a 20-year period in a single institution, 34 patients with chronic, refractory autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura were prospectively treated with ex vivo anti-D opsonized autologous red blood cells. All patients had received previous treatment with steroids and/or immunosuppressive agents, and 11 had been splenectomized. Twenty one patients had an increase in the platelet count; in five cases, the increase was more than 50 x 10(9)/L platelets and in 16 the increase was more than 100 x 10(9)/L platelets. Early responses were observed in 20 patients and late responses in seven, whereas seven patients (20%) did not respond at all. Nine of the 20 individuals who achieved an ER had a subsequent drop in the platelet count; however, only three had a drop below 50 x 10(9)/L. When last censored, of the 34 patients, 24 (70%) had a platelet count above 50 x 10(9)/L. The 84-month thrombocytopenia-free (over 50 x 10(9)/L platelets) status of the whole group is 70%, whereas the 84-month complete remission (over 100 x 10(9)/L platelets) status of the whole group is 50%. It is concluded that the use of ex vivo anti-D opsonized red blood cells may represent another, substantially cheaper treatment of patients with chronic, refractory, autoimmune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Uso de recursos sanitarios para tratar la leucemia mieloide crónica en Perú / Use of healthcare resources for treating chronic myeloid leukemia in Peru

En el presente artículo original se describen y comentan los datos aportados por un grupo de oncohematólogos, acerca del uso actual de los recursos sanitarios para el tratamiento de la leucemia mieloide crónica y de los eventos adversos relacionados con ésta, en Perú. Mediante la técnica de consenso Mini Delphi, los panelistas lograron elevado grado de acuerdo sobre los temas de interés. A modo de síntesis, se observó distribución de los recursos generales disponibles acorde con las necesidades de cada fase de la leucemia y en adhesión a las pautas terapéuticas internacionales, aunque se detectaron algunas instancias que podrían optimizarse. Resultó evidente la notable disminución de la realización de trasplantes de médula ósea, en Perú. Esta información puede constituir un punto de partida para futuros estudios adicionales en el contexto de la práctica clínica en Latinoamérica. Además, aplicada a modelos farmacoeconómicos apropiados, los datos podrían agilizar la toma de decisiones acorde a la realidad local, por parte de los distintos responsables de los sistemas de salud, para permitir a los enfermos con LMC acceder a las opciones terapéuticas más ventajosas y, aún más trascendente, mejorar su calidad de vida y supervivencia.

This original article details and discusses the information provided by a group of hematologists, about the current use of health resourcesin the management of chronic myeloid leukemia and its treatment related adverse events in Peru. By applying the Mini Delphi consensus technique, a high degree of agreement about the issues of interest was reached among the faculty. To summarize, although it was noticed that the allocation of health resources matches the requirement for each phase in the management of leukemia and it adheres to international guidelines, some topics that could be optimized were identified. A remarkable reduction of bone marrow transplant procedures was evident. These data may represent a starting point for further studies in the clinical practice setting in Latin America. Moreover, using appropriate pharmacoeconomic models, the information obtained may speed up the decision making process according to the local circumstances by those responsible for sanitary assistance, allowing patients with CML to reach the most convenient therapeutic options and, more importantly, improving their quality of life and survival.