Empirical antimicrobial prescribing for pyelonephritis in patients discharged from 15 US Emergency Departments: an opportunity for improvement.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly treated in the emergency department (ED), and unfortunately, resistance to first-line agents is increasing. OBJECTIVES: To characterize treatment of pyelonephritis in a nationally representative sample of ED patients and to identify patient- and treatment-specific factors associated with receiving initial inactive antibiotics. METHODS: We conducted a multicentre, observational cohort study utilizing the Emergency Medicine PHARMacotherapy Research NETwork (EMPHARM-NET), comprising 15 geographically diverse US EDs. All patients ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of pyelonephritis between 2018 and 2020 were included. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who received initial inactive empirical antibiotic therapy and to identify predictive factors of inactive antibiotic therapy. RESULTS: Of the 3714 patients evaluated, 223 had culture-positive pyelonephritis. Median patient age was 50.1 years and patients were mostly female (78.3%). Overall, 40.4% of patients received an IV antibiotic, most commonly ceftriaxone (86.7%). The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were cefalexin (31.8%), ciprofloxacin (14.3%), cefdinir (13.5%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (12.6%). Overall, 10.3% of patients received initial inactive therapy. After adjustment in a multivariable analysis, long-acting IV antibiotic was predictive of inactive therapy (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07-0.83). CONCLUSIONS: In our prospective, multicentre observational study, we found that only 40.4% of patients with pyelonephritis received empirical IV antibiotics in the ED, contributing to inactive therapy. Receipt of long-acting IV antibiotics was independently associated with a decreased rate of initial inactive therapy. This reinforces guideline recommendations to administer long-acting IV antibiotics empirically in the ED upon suspicion of pyelonephritis.

Norepinephrine versus epinephrine for hemodynamic support in post-cardiac arrest shock: A systematic review.

PURPOSE: The preferred vasopressor in post-cardiac arrest shock has not been established with robust clinical outcomes data. Our goal was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis comparing rates of in-hospital mortality, refractory shock, and hemodynamic parameters in post-cardiac arrest patients who received either norepinephrine or epinephrine as primary vasopressor support. METHODS: We conducted a search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL from 2000 to 2022. Included studies were prospective, retrospective, or published abstracts comparing norepinephrine and epinephrine in adults with post-cardiac arrest shock or with cardiogenic shock and extractable post-cardiac arrest data. The primary outcome of interest was in-hospital mortality. Other outcomes included incidence of arrhythmias or refractory shock. RESULTS: The database search returned 2646 studies. Two studies involving 853 participants were included in the systematic review. The proposed meta-analysis was deferred due to low yield. Crude incidence of in-hospital mortality was numerically higher in the epinephrine group compared with norepinephrine in both studies, but only statistically significant in one. Risk of bias was moderate to severe for in-hospital mortality. Additional outcomes were reported differently between studies, minimizing direct comparison. CONCLUSION: The vasopressor with the best mortality and hemodynamic outcomes in post-cardiac arrest shock remains unclear. Randomized studies are crucial to remedy this.

Rapid Sequence Intubation, is it Time to Find an Alternative Induction Agent? A Narrative Review.

OBJECTIVE: To review the efficacy, safety, and place in therapy of fentanyl as an induction agent for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in critically ill patients. DATA SOURCES: A comprehensive search of PubMed, EMBASE, and clinical trial registries (1964-June 2021) was performed utilizing the keywords fentanyl, rapid sequence intubation, intubation, induction, anesthesia, hemodynamics, operating room (OR), and emergency. STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Only primary literature evaluating fentanyl in combination with a sedative or as the sole induction agent was included in the final analysis. Primary literature included peer-reviewed publications and results posted on ClinicalTrials.gov actively recruiting participants. DATA SYNTHESIS: Fentanyl has been used for decades as an adjunct, and sole induction agent in the OR. Questions surrounding the use of fentanyl as a sole induction agent include optimal dosing and safety in critically ill patients as evaluation in non-OR settings remain limited. RELEVANCE TO PATIENT CARE AND CLINICAL PRACTICE: Commonly used induction agents (eg, etomidate and ketamine) are associated with adverse events that may increase risk of morbidity and mortality. Fentanyl, a high-potency opioid could serve as an alternative induction agent for RSI due to its neutral hemodynamic response and fast onset of action. This paper compiles and describes existing data on the use of fentanyl as an induction agent for RSI. CONCLUSION: Fentanyl in combination with sedatives provides optimal intubating conditions with minimal impact on hemodynamic parameters. Future studies should focus on safety and impact of awareness during paralysis before fentanyl can be considered as a sole induction agent.

Association of Patient Belief About Success of Antibiotics for Appendicitis and Outcomes: A Secondary Analysis of the CODA Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: A patient's belief in the likely success of a treatment may influence outcomes, but this has been understudied in surgical trials. Objective: To examine the association between patients' baseline beliefs about the likelihood of treatment success with outcomes of antibiotics for appendicitis in the Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial. Design, Setting, and Participants: This was a secondary analysis of the CODA randomized clinical trial. Participants from 25 US medical centers were enrolled between May 3, 2016, and February 5, 2020. Included in the analysis were participants with appendicitis who were randomly assigned to receive antibiotics in the CODA trial. After informed consent but before randomization, participants who were assigned to receive antibiotics responded to a baseline survey including a question about how successful they believed antibiotics could be in treating their appendicitis. Interventions: Participants were categorized based on baseline survey responses into 1 of 3 belief groups: unsuccessful/unsure, intermediate, and completely successful. Main Outcomes and Measures: Three outcomes were assigned at 30 days: (1) appendectomy, (2) high decisional regret or dissatisfaction with treatment, and (3) persistent signs and symptoms (abdominal pain, tenderness, fever, or chills). Outcomes were compared across groups using adjusted risk differences (aRDs), with propensity score adjustment for sociodemographic and clinical factors. Results: Of the 776 study participants who were assigned antibiotic treatment in CODA, a total of 425 (mean [SD] age, 38.5 [13.6] years; 277 male [65%]) completed the baseline belief survey before knowing their treatment assignment. Baseline beliefs were as follows: 22% of participants (92 of 415) had an unsuccessful/unsure response, 51% (212 of 415) had an intermediate response, and 27% (111 of 415) had a completely successful response. Compared with the unsuccessful/unsure group, those who believed antibiotics could be completely successful had a 13-percentage point lower risk of appendectomy (aRD, -13.49; 95% CI, -24.57 to -2.40). The aRD between those with intermediate vs unsuccessful/unsure beliefs was -5.68 (95% CI, -16.57 to 5.20). Compared with the unsuccessful/unsure group, those with intermediate beliefs had a lower risk of persistent signs and symptoms (aRD, -15.72; 95% CI, -29.71 to -1.72), with directionally similar results for the completely successful group (aRD, -15.14; 95% CI, -30.56 to 0.28). Conclusions and Relevance: Positive patient beliefs about the likely success of antibiotics for appendicitis were associated with a lower risk of appendectomy and with resolution of signs and symptoms by 30 days. Pathways relating beliefs to outcomes and the potential modifiability of beliefs to improve outcomes merit further investigation. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02800785.

Long-Term Impacts of a Targeted Intervention in the Emergency Department on Inpatient Prescribing Practices.

Background: In 2009, researchers successfully implemented an intervention to decrease the inappropriate prescribing of multivitamin infusions (MVIs) in the emergency department (ED) for patients presenting with alcohol-related illnesses. Objective: The purposes of our study were to determine the impact of the 2009 intervention on hospital-wide prescribing practices of vitamin therapies for alcohol-related illnesses, and to evaluate its long-term sustainability. Methods: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at a 60,000-visit ED, 811-bed academically-affiliated tertiary referral hospital with an average census of 515 and 714 patients in 2009 and 2019, respectively. Patients were included if they presented to the ED from 2009 to 2019 with an alcohol-related illness as defined by ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes. The primary outcome was the change in the monthly average of MVIs ordered inpatient within the first four months compared to the last four months of the study period. Secondary outcomes included changes in the mean distribution (MD) per month of thiamine administrations in the ED and inpatient setting, and MVIs ordered in the ED. Results: The MD of MVIs ordered per month decreased by 3.5% (95% CI -5.3, -1.7) in the inpatient setting and decreased by 1.4% (95% CI -2.5, -.3) in the ED from the beginning to the end of our study period. Conclusions: This study suggests the effects of an intervention made in the ED sustained impact over a 10-year timeframe, and decreased the use of MVIs in both the ED and hospital-wide.

Pharmacist authors of emergency medicine organization work products pertaining to pharmacotherapy.

PURPOSE: Despite the expertise that emergency medicine (EM) pharmacists bring to multidisciplinary teams in the emergency department (ED) setting, they are not commonly present on writing groups for guidelines, policies, or task forces pertaining to EM pharmacotherapy. The purpose of this article is to quantify EM pharmacist involvement on author bylines of guidelines, position statements, and other official documents that specifically encompass EM pharmacotherapy. METHODS: Official work products released between January 1, 2010, and May 1, 2021, were collected from the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM), and American Academy of Emergency Medicine (AAEM) and the table of contents of the following journals: Annals of Emergency Medicine, Academic Emergency Medicine, and Journal of Emergency Medicine. A modified Delphi approach was used to gain consensus amongst the authors on which work products to include in the initial review and which works pertained to pharmacotherapy. The primary endpoint was the percentage of pharmacists listed as authors on EM work products pertaining to pharmacotherapy. RESULTS: Overall, 76 EM work products were identified. Forty-seven work products with a total of 248 authors contained at least 1 recommendation pertaining to pharmacotherapy. Of these 47 EM work products, 23 (49%) were from AAEM, 16 (34%) were from Annals of Emergency Medicine (published on behalf of ACEP), 5 (11%) were from Journal of Emergency Medicine (published on behalf of AAEM), and 3 (6%) were from SAEM. The median number of authors per work product was 4. There were 5 pharmacists listed on work products (2% of the total of 248 authors). Additionally, there were 9 nonpharmacist/nonphysician authors (4% of the total). CONCLUSION: Pharmacist inclusion on author lists of recently published EM work products pertaining to pharmacotherapy is extremely low. Given their unique knowledge pertaining to EM pharmacotherapy, an effort should be made to increase inclusion of pharmacists as authors of EM work products with recommendations that pertain to pharmacotherapy.

Analysis of Outcomes Associated With Outpatient Management of Nonoperatively Treated Patients With Appendicitis.

Importance: In the Comparison of Outcomes of Antibiotic Drugs and Appendectomy (CODA) trial, which found antibiotics to be noninferior, approximately half of participants randomized to receive antibiotics had outpatient management with hospital discharge within 24 hours. If outpatient management is safe, it could increase convenience and decrease health care use and costs. Objective: To assess the use and safety of outpatient management of acute appendicitis. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study, which is a secondary analysis of the CODA trial, included 776 adults with imaging-confirmed appendicitis who received antibiotics at 25 US hospitals from May 1, 2016, to February 28, 2020. Exposures: Participants randomized to antibiotics (intravenous then oral) could be discharged from the emergency department based on clinician judgment and prespecified criteria (hemodynamically stable, afebrile, oral intake tolerated, pain controlled, and follow-up confirmed). Outpatient management and hospitalization were defined as discharge within or after 24 hours, respectively. Main Outcomes and Measures: Outcomes compared among patients receiving outpatient vs inpatient care included serious adverse events (SAEs), appendectomies, health care encounters, satisfaction, missed workdays at 7 days, and EuroQol 5-dimension (EQ-5D) score at 30 days. In addition, appendectomy incidence among outpatients and inpatients, unadjusted and adjusted for illness severity, was compared. Results: Among 776 antibiotic-randomized participants, 42 (5.4%) underwent appendectomy within 24 hours and 8 (1.0%) did not receive their first antibiotic dose within 24 hours, leaving 726 (93.6%) comprising the study population (median age, 36 years; range, 18-86 years; 462 [63.6%] male; 437 [60.2%] White). Of these participants, 335 (46.1%; site range, 0-89.2%) were discharged within 24 hours, and 391 (53.9%) were discharged after 24 hours. Over 7 days, SAEs occurred in 0.9 (95% CI, 0.2-2.6) per 100 outpatients and 1.3 (95% CI, 0.4-2.9) per 100 inpatients; in the appendicolith subgroup, SAEs occurred in 2.3 (95% CI, 0.3-8.2) per 100 outpatients vs 2.8 (95% CI, 0.6-7.9) per 100 inpatients. During this period, appendectomy occurred in 9.9% (95% CI, 6.9%-13.7%) of outpatients and 14.1% (95% CI, 10.8%-18.0%) of inpatients; adjusted analysis demonstrated a similar difference in incidence (-4.0 percentage points; 95% CI, -8.7 to 0.6). At 30 days, appendectomies occurred in 12.6% (95% CI, 9.1%-16.7%) of outpatients and 19.0% (95% CI, 15.1%-23.4%) of inpatients. Outpatients missed fewer workdays (2.6 days; 95% CI, 2.3-2.9 days) than did inpatients (3.8 days; 95% CI, 3.4-4.3 days) and had similar frequency of return health care visits and high satisfaction and EQ-5D scores. Conclusions and Relevance: These findings support that outpatient antibiotic management is safe for selected adults with acute appendicitis, with no greater risk of complications or appendectomy than hospital care, and should be included in shared decision-making discussions of patient preferences for outcomes associated with nonoperative and operative care. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02800785.

High prevalence of fluoroquinolone-resistant UTI among US emergency department patients diagnosed with urinary tract infection, 2018-2020.

BACKGROUND: Uropathogen resistance, fluoroquinolone-resistance (FQR), and extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL), has been observed to be emerging worldwide with prevalences above recommended thresholds for routine empirical treatment. The primary aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of FQR from a geographically diverse sample of United States emergency departments (EDs). METHODS: We conducted a multi-center, observational cohort study using a network of 15 geographically diverse US EDs. All patients ≥18 years of age with the primary or secondary diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the ED identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnosis code of cystitis, pyelonephritis, or UTI from 2018 to 2020 were included. We calculated descriptive statistics for uropathogens and susceptibilities. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify antimicrobial resistance risk factors associated with FQR Escherichia coli. RESULTS: Among 3779 patients who met inclusion criteria, median age was 62.9 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 41-77.6) and 76.3% were female. The most common diagnoses were complicated (41.2%) and uncomplicated cystitis (40.3%). E. coli was the most common pathogen (63.2%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.2%) and Enterococcus species (5.8%). Across all sites, overall E. coli FQ-resistance prevalence was 22.1%, ranging from 10.5 to 29.7% by site. The prevalence of ESBL-producing uropathogen was 7.4%, ranging from 3.6% to 11.6% by site. Previous IV or oral antimicrobial use in the past 90-days and history of a multi-drug resistant pathogen were associated with FQ-resistant E. coli (odds ratio [OR] 2.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.04-3.51, and OR 6.93, 95% CI: 4.95-9.70, respectively). Of the patients who had FQ-resistant E. coli or an ESBL-producing uropathogen isolated, 116 (37.1%) and 61 (36.7%) did not have any documented risk factors for resistance. CONCLUSION: FQ-resistant E. coli is widely prevalent across US sites highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and, at some locations, modification of empirical treatments.

MRSA nasal swab PCR to de-escalate antibiotics in the emergency department.

BACKGROUND: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal swab polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay has a 96.1-99.2% negative predictive value (NPV) in pneumonia and may be used for early de-escalation of MRSA-active antibiotic agents. Xu (2018), File (2010) [1,2]. OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to determine if a negative MRSA PCR nasal swab collected in the emergency department (ED) improves early MRSA-active antibiotic de-escalation. METHODS: A single center observational cohort study used ICD-10 codes to identify records for adults admitted to the ED with a hospital discharge diagnosis of pneumonia. The primary outcome was proportion of patients with early de-escalation on an MRSA-active agent (≤ 1 dose). Secondary outcomes included rate of acute kidney injury (AKI), positive MRSA cultures (blood culture, respiratory sputum, tracheal aspirate), hospital length of stay (LOS), in-hospital mortality, and 30-day readmission rates. RESULTS: A total of 341 patients were included in the study. Of the patients with an MRSA PCR swab, 35.2% of patients with a negative swab received >1 dose of MRSA-active agent compared to 52% of patients without an MRSA nasal swab (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in secondary outcomes except readmission rate of 1.6% of patients that did not have an MRSA swab in the ED vs 6.6% of patients that received an MRSA swab in the ED. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE: MRSA PCR nasal swabs in the ED may serve as a useful tool for early MRSA-active antibiotic de-escalation when treating pneumonia.

Utilization of anti-factor Xa levels to guide reversal of oral factor Xa inhibitors in the emergency department.

PURPOSE: Oral factor Xa inhibitors (FXaIs) are increasingly utilized for outpatient anticoagulation therapy; however, laboratory monitoring is not routinely used to assess the safety and efficacy of these agents. We aimed to evaluate the role of chromogenic anti-factor Xa (anti-Xa) assays in the emergency department (ED) in the setting of patients with an acute bleed or requiring emergent procedures. METHODS: A retrospective review of anti-Xa levels obtained in the ED between June 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020, was completed. Data were collected to describe the clinical setting of anti-Xa level collection, oral FXaIs used before admission, administration of reversal agents, and patient disposition to further characterize the role of anti-Xa levels in the management of rivaroxaban and apixaban reversal. RESULTS: Thirty anti-Xa levels were included in the final analysis. The median time from sample collection to anti-Xa assay result was 45.9 minutes (interquartile range, 35.3-54.7 minutes). Eleven patients (37%) received anticoagulation reversal after their anti-Xa levels were determined. Anticoagulation reversal agents included either activated prothrombin complex concentrates (aPCCs) or prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs). Anti-Xa levels were collected in 2 patients who had received PCCs before arrival at our ED. Of the patients with anti-Xa levels below 30 ng/mL, none received aPCCs or PCCs after their anti-Xa levels were determined. Anti-Xa assays were used to rule out the presence of FXaIs in 3 patients. CONCLUSION: This study illustrates the novel role of anti-Xa levels in managing patients with an emergent need for reversal in the ED. The assay may be used to rule out the presence of oral FXaIs and avoid unnecessary administrations of anticoagulation reversal agents.

A Review of the Metabolism and Potential Drug-drug Interactions With Addictive Drugs.

People who use drugs (PWUD) are at increased risk for drug-related harms such as overdose. Additionally, they are also at increased risk of secondary harms from bacterial and other infections such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and Human Immunodeficiency Virus. These secondary harms, along with other medical conditions, typically require treatment with prescription medications. When considering treatment options, drug-drug interactions (DDIs) must be considered, unfortunately these interactions are often overlooked with addictive drugs. Although DDIs in PWUD have been reviewed for certain drug classes and specific drugs of abuse, no comprehensive list could be found. The objective of this article is to compile a list of potential DDIs between prescription drugs and addictive drugs to create a list allowing prescribers to make more informed decisions when prescribing a medication to PWUD.

Intravenous Antibiotic Susceptibility for Urinary Tract Infection Prior to Emergency Department Discharge.

BACKGROUND: Urinary tract infection (UTI) is a common infectious disease managed in the emergency department (ED). Patients may be initially treated with an intravenous (IV) antibiotic and subsequently discharged with an oral antibiotic regimen. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine whether the current Infectious Diseases Society of America guideline recommendation for an initial dose of long-acting IV antibiotic for treatment of UTI when the prevalence of fluoroquinolone resistance exceeds 10% improves the likelihood of providing in vitro susceptibility to the isolated uropathogen. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of patients in ED presenting between May 2009 and August 2018 who received treatment for UTI. The primary outcome was susceptibility of uropathogen to the IV antibiotic administered. Secondary outcomes included susceptibility to the oral antibiotic regimen prescribed at discharge, repeat health care visit within 30 days related to UTI follow-up, adverse events (AEs) associated with antibiotic use, and identification of risk factors associated with pathogen resistance. RESULTS: A total of 255 patients were included for analysis. Of these patients, 230 (90.2%) had pathogens susceptible to the administered IV antibiotic. The oral regimen susceptibility was 81.6% with 29 patients returning for UTI follow-up and 4 patients reporting AEs related to antibiotic use. Men and long-term care facility residents were more likely to have resistant uropathogens. CONCLUSION: Administration of a long-acting IV antibiotic for treatment of UTI prior to ED discharge is recommended when the fluoroquinolone resistance rate exceeds 10% to improve in vitro susceptibility coverage.

A Randomized Trial Comparing Antibiotics with Appendectomy for Appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic therapy has been proposed as an alternative to surgery for the treatment of appendicitis. METHODS: We conducted a pragmatic, nonblinded, noninferiority, randomized trial comparing antibiotic therapy (10-day course) with appendectomy in patients with appendicitis at 25 U.S. centers. The primary outcome was 30-day health status, as assessed with the European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) questionnaire (scores range from 0 to 1, with higher scores indicating better health status; noninferiority margin, 0.05 points). Secondary outcomes included appendectomy in the antibiotics group and complications through 90 days; analyses were prespecified in subgroups defined according to the presence or absence of an appendicolith. RESULTS: In total, 1552 adults (414 with an appendicolith) underwent randomization; 776 were assigned to receive antibiotics (47% of whom were not hospitalized for the index treatment) and 776 to undergo appendectomy (96% of whom underwent a laparoscopic procedure). Antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of 30-day EQ-5D scores (mean difference, 0.01 points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.001 to 0.03). In the antibiotics group, 29% had undergone appendectomy by 90 days, including 41% of those with an appendicolith and 25% of those without an appendicolith. Complications were more common in the antibiotics group than in the appendectomy group (8.1 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.30 to 3.98); the higher rate in the antibiotics group could be attributed to those with an appendicolith (20.2 vs. 3.6 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 5.69; 95% CI, 2.11 to 15.38) and not to those without an appendicolith (3.7 vs. 3.5 per 100 participants; rate ratio, 1.05; 95% CI, 0.45 to 2.43). The rate of serious adverse events was 4.0 per 100 participants in the antibiotics group and 3.0 per 100 participants in the appendectomy group (rate ratio, 1.29; 95% CI, 0.67 to 2.50). CONCLUSIONS: For the treatment of appendicitis, antibiotics were noninferior to appendectomy on the basis of results of a standard health-status measure. In the antibiotics group, nearly 3 in 10 participants had undergone appendectomy by 90 days. Participants with an appendicolith were at a higher risk for appendectomy and for complications than those without an appendicolith. (Funded by the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute; CODA ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02800785.).

Guideline adherence for the management of emergency department patients with febrile neutropenia and no infection source: Is there room for improvement?

INTRODUCTION: Febrile neutropenia is an oncologic emergency associated with significant morbidity and mortality. The objective of our study was to assess guideline adherence and clinical outcomes associated with the management of high- and low-risk febrile neutropenia patients presenting to the emergency department. METHODS: A retrospective observational cohort study was conducted at a 60,000-visit emergency department at an academically-affiliated tertiary referral hospital. Patients were identified as low- or high-risk using the guideline-recommended Multinational Association for Supportive Care in Cancer score. The primary outcome was the proportion of cases in which the management was concordant with applicable febrile neutropenia guidelines. Guideline adherence was defined as hospital admission and intravenous antimicrobial therapy for high-risk patients and discharge home with oral antimicrobial therapy for low-risk patients. Secondary outcomes included appropriate vancomycin administration, hospital length of stay, rates of acute kidney injury, in-hospital Clostridium difficile infection rates, and 30-day mortality. RESULTS: Of the 237 patients included, 94 (39.7%) were low-risk patients and 143 (60.3%) were high-risk patients. Guideline adherence occurred in 96.8% of high-risk patients and 0.4% of low-risk patients. Mean hospital length of stay of the low-risk group was 5 ± 5.0 days compared to 7.2 ± 7.3 days in the high-risk group. Vancomycin was often inappropriately given in 69.5% of high-risk patients. Clostridium difficile occurred in 15 (10.3%) adherent and 4 (4.4%) non-adherent patients. By 30 days, 4 (4.3%) low-risk and 15 (10.7%) high-risk patients died. CONCLUSION: Adherence to the febrile neutropenia guidelines was low resulting in unnecessary hospital admissions of low-risk patients and frequent over-prescription of empirical vancomycin.

Opportunities for achieving resuscitation goals during the inter-emergency department transfer of severe sepsis patients by emergency medical services: A case series.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to describe the care provide by Emergency Medical Services (EMS) to severe sepsis patients being transferred between acute care hospitals and identify how that care contributes to sepsis care goals. METHODS: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study conducted at a 60,000-visit Midwestern academic emergency department, using run reports from 13 ambulance services transferring from 9 hospitals. RESULTS: 39 patients were included in the final cohort, transferred by 13 ambulance services from 9 hospitals. Included patients were adults with severe sepsis transferred by ambulance between 2009 and 2014. Thirty-nine patients were included in this cohort. 41% (n = 12) of patients received an adequate fluid bolus of 30 mL/kg (median 42.9 mL/kg crystalloid fluid, IQR 8.0 mL/kg) prior to tertiary care arrival. Seventeen percent (n = 2) of patients completed the adequate bolus during transfer time. Broad-spectrum antibiotics were initiated during transfer in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: EMS sepsis care during transfer was limited. EMS crews primarily continued treatments previously initiated and did not take additional steps toward resuscitation targets. Data suggests the inter-emergency department transfer period may provide an opportunity to continue working toward treatment targets, though the time is currently underutilized.

Safety and effectiveness of Factor Eight Inhibitor Bypassing Activity for direct oral anticoagulant-related hemorrhage reversal.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of patients who present with life-threatening bleeding complications has been increasing as the use of direct oral anticoagulation (DOAC) has increased. Therefore, effective reversal agents are urgently needed. Current guidelines recommend the use of prothrombin complex concentrates (PCCs) and activated PCCs (aPCC) for reversal of DOAC anticoagulant activity in the setting of traumatic and non-traumatic intracranial hemorrhage (ICH). However, little data is available. OBJECTIVE: Herein, we investigated the safety and effectiveness of Factor Eight Inhibitor Bypassing Activity [FEIBA (an aPCC)] in a population of patients who required emergent reversal of DOAC for hemorrhage or urgent surgical interventions. METHODS: This is a case series study. Medical records from patients who required emergent reversal of DOAC for life threatening hemorrhage or urgent surgical interventions were collected from February 1, 2014, to April 1, 2017 and reviewed. Data, including demographics as well as safety, outcomes, and dosing of FEIBA for reversal of DOAC effects were collected and descriptive statistics were obtained. RESULTS: Forty-two patients who received FEIBA were included in the study. The rates of thrombotic events (10%), hemorrhage progression (10%), and observed mortality (29%) were similar to rates previously published in the limited literature evaluating aPCC use in this population. CONCLUSION: This case series suggests that FEIBA administration is relatively safe and effective to reverse DOACs in the setting of hemorrhage or need for urgent surgical procedures. Until target-specific reversal agents are available, future studies are warranted to evaluate the effectiveness of aPCC administration for DOAC-associated hemorrhagic complications.

Normal Saline Solution and Lactated Ringer's Solution Have a Similar Effect on Quality of Recovery: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to test the hypothesis that balanced crystalloids improve quality of recovery more than normal saline solution (0.9% sodium chloride) in stable emergency department (ED) patients. Secondary outcomes measured differences in health care use. METHODS: A single-site, participant- and evaluator-blinded, 2-arm parallel allocation (1:1), comparative effectiveness, randomized controlled trial allocated adults receiving intravenous fluids in the ED before discharge to receive 2 L of lactated Ringer's solution or normal saline solution. The primary outcome was symptom scores measured by the validated Quality of Recovery-40 instrument (scores 40 to 200) 24 hours after enrollment. Secondary outcomes included subsequent health care use and medication compliance. RESULTS: Participants (N=157) were enrolled and follow-up was analyzed for 94 (follow-up rate of 60%) with intention-to-treat methodology. There was no difference in postenrollment Quality of Recovery-40 scores between normal saline solution and lactated Ringer's solution groups (mean difference 2.4; 95% confidence interval [CI] -6.8 to 11.6). Although preenrollment scores were higher in the lactated Ringer's solution group (mean difference 10.5; 95% CI 1.9 to 19.0), adjusting for presurvey imbalances did not change the primary outcome (adjusted difference -3.9; 95% CI -12.9 to 5.2). There were no differences in return to ED (mean difference 7.5%; 95% CI -8.7% to 23.8%), prescriptions filled (mean difference 22.2%; 95% CI -3.3% to 47.6%), or seeking care from another provider (mean difference -2.0%; 95% CI -19.9% to 15.9%) at 7 days. CONCLUSION: Normal saline solution and lactated Ringer's solution were associated with similar 24-hour recovery scores and 7-day health care use in stable ED patients. These results supplement those of recent trials by informing fluid choice for stable ED patients.