Managing Modern Antiretroviral Therapy in the Intensive Care Unit: Overcoming Challenges for Critically Ill People With Human Immunodeficiency Virus.

People with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have a 50% excess risk for intensive care unit (ICU) admission, often for non-HIV-related conditions. Despite this, clear guidance for managing antiretroviral therapy (ART) in this setting is lacking. Selecting appropriate ART in the ICU is complex due to drug interactions, absorption issues, and dosing adjustments. Continuing ART in the ICU can be challenging due to organ dysfunction, drug interactions, and formulary limitations. However, with careful consideration, continuation is often feasible through dose adjustments or alternative administration methods. Temporary discontinuation of ART may be beneficial depending on the clinical scenario. Clinicians should actively seek resources and support to mitigate adverse events and drug interactions in critically ill people with HIV. Navigating challenges in the ICU can optimize ART and improve care and outcomes for critically ill people with HIV. This review aims to identify strategies for addressing the challenges associated with the use of modern ART in the ICU.

ART-related medication errors in hospitalized people with HIV in the INSTI-era: analysis from 2 health systems in South Georgia, U.S.

ABSTRACTART-related medication errors occur at high rates in hospitalized people with HIV (PWH), but few studies included modern regimens. As such, we evaluated ART-related medication errors in hospitalized PWH in an era where use of INSTI-based regimens dominate. This multi-center, retrospective cohort included PWH at least 18 years hospitalized in South Georgia, U.S. between March 2016 and March 2018. Of those eligible for inclusion, 400 were randomly selected and included. Three hundred sixty-three inpatient ART-related medication errors occurred in 203 patients during the study period due to incorrect scheduling (44%), an incorrect or incomplete regimen (27%), and drug-drug interactions (27%). Approximately 25% of errors persisted to discharge. Medication errors were more likely to occur in patients receiving NNRTI- or PI-containing multi-tablet regimens, whereas those receiving INSTI-containing multi-tablet regimens were less likely to experience a medication error. ART-related medication errors are less likely in patients receiving INSTI-containing multi-tablet regimens. Ensuring appropriate transition of ART throughout hospitalization remains an area in need of significant improvement.

Small Towns, Big Cities: Rural and Urban Disparities Among Hospitalized Patients With COVID-19 in the Central Savannah River Area.

BACKGROUND: There is a lack of data surrounding the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) among rural and urban communities. This study aims to determine whether there are differences in epidemiologic characteristics and clinical outcomes among individuals with COVID-19 among these communities. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of 155 patients admitted to a single-center tertiary academic hospital located in Augusta, Georgia, with a large proportion of hospitalized patients transferred from or residing in rural and urban counties. Hospitalized adult patients were included in the study if they were admitted to AUMC between March 13, 2020, and June 25, 2020, and had a positive polymerase chain reaction test for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 regardless of the presence or absence of symptomatology. Demographics, admission data, and 30-day outcomes were examined overall and by geographical variation. RESULTS: Urban patients were more likely to be admitted to the general medical floor (P = .01), while rural patients were more likely to require an escalation in the level of care within 24 hours of admission (P = .02). In contrast, of the patients who were discharged or expired at day 30, there were no statistically significant differences in either total hospital length of stay or intensive care unit length of stay between the populations. CONCLUSIONS: There may be many social determinants of health that limit a rural patient's ability to seek prompt medical care and contribute to decompensation within the first 24 hours of admission. This study provides insight into the differences in clinical course among patients admitted from different community settings and when accounting for comorbid conditions.

Antiretroviral Stewardship: A Review of Published Outcomes with Recommendations for Program Implementation.

Persons living with HIV (PLWHs) are at high risk for medication errors when hospitalized, but antiretroviral medications are not often evaluated by antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) because they are not specifically discussed in the standards of practice. However, antiretroviral (ARV) stewardship programs (ARVSPs) have been shown to decrease medication error rates and improve other outcomes. The goal of this article is to review published literature on ARVSPs and provide guidance on key aspects of ARVSPs. A MEDLINE search using the term "antiretroviral stewardship" was conducted. Original research articles evaluating ARVSPs in hospitalized, adult PLWHs were included. Six original research articles evaluating unique inpatient ARVSPs met inclusion criteria. All 6 studies evaluating medication errors as the primary outcome found a significant reduction in errors in the postimplementation phase. Based on current standards for ASPs, we propose core elements for ARVSPs. Future organizational guidelines for antimicrobial stewardship should include official recommendations for ARV medications.