Impact of the day of the week on the discontinuation of broad-spectrum antibiotic prescriptions; a multi-centered observational study

AbstractTo encourage and guide antimicrobial stewardship team (AST) activity and promote appropriate antibiotic use, we studied the impact of day of the week on the initiation and discontinuation of antibiotic administration. This was a multicenter observational study conducted at 8 Japanese hospitals from April 1 to September 30, 2019, targeting patients who underwent treatment with broad-spectrum antibiotics, such as anti-methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus agents and anti-pseudomonal agents. We compared the weekly numbers of initiations and discontinuations of antibiotic prescription on each day of the week or on the days after a holiday. There was no statistical difference in the number of antibiotic initiations on both weekdays and the day after a holiday. However, antibiotic discontinuation was significantly higher from Tuesday onward than Monday and from the second day than the first day after a holiday. Similar trends were observed regardless of the categories of antibiotics, hospital and admission ward, and AST activity. This study suggests that broad-spectrum antibiotics tend to be continued during weekends and holidays and are most likely to be discontinued on Tuesday or the second day after a holiday. This was probably due to behavioral factors beyond medical indications, requiring further antimicrobial stewardship efforts in the future.

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Assessing the impact of antibiotic stewardship program elements on antibiotic use across acute-care hospitals: an observational study

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2018.121 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (8) ◽

pp. 941-946 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Bradley J. Langford ◽

Julie Hui-Chih Wu ◽

Kevin A. Brown ◽

Xuesong Wang ◽

Valerie Leung ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Observational Study ◽

Acute Care ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Acute Care Hospitals ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Audit And Feedback ◽

Prospective Audit ◽

Defined Daily Doses ◽

Prospective Audit And Feedback ◽

The Impact

AbstractObjectivesAntibiotic use varies widely between hospitals, but the influence of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on this variability is not known. We aimed to determine the key structural and strategic aspects of ASPs associated with differences in risk-adjusted antibiotic utilization across facilities.DesignObservational study of acute-care hospitals in Ontario, CanadaMethodsA survey was sent to hospitals asking about both structural (8 elements) and strategic (32 elements) components of their ASP. Antibiotic use from hospital purchasing data was acquired for January 1 to December 31, 2014. Crude and adjusted defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days, accounting for hospital and aggregate patient characteristics, were calculated across facilities. Rate ratios (RR) of defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days were compared for hospitals with and without each antimicrobial stewardship element of interest.ResultsOf 127 eligible hospitals, 73 (57%) participated in the study. There was a 7-fold range in antibiotic use across these facilities (min, 253 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days; max, 1,872 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient days). The presence of designated funding or resources for the ASP (RRadjusted, 0·87; 95% CI, 0·75–0·99), prospective audit and feedback (RRadjusted, 0·80; 95% CI, 0·67–0·96), and intravenous-to-oral conversion policies (RRadjusted, 0·79; 95% CI, 0·64–0·99) were associated with lower risk-adjusted antibiotic use.ConclusionsWide variability in antibiotic use across hospitals may be partially explained by both structural and strategic ASP elements. The presence of funding and resources, prospective audit and feedback, and intravenous-to-oral conversion should be considered priority elements of a robust ASP.

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Effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship programmes in neonatology: a systematic review

Archives of Disease in Childhood ◽

10.1136/archdischild-2019-318026 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 105 (6) ◽

pp. 563-568

Author(s):

André Ricardo Araujo da Silva ◽

Amanda Marques ◽

Clara Di Biase ◽

Monique Faitanin ◽

Indah Murni ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antibiotic Resistance ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Neonatal Intensive Care ◽

Antiviral Agents ◽

Final Analysis ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Antibiotic Consumption ◽

Multi Centre Study ◽

The Impact

IntroductionAntimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) are recommended to improve antibiotic use in healthcare and reduce antimicrobial resistance (AMR). Our aim was to investigate the effectiveness of ASPs in reducing antibiotic consumption, use of broad-spectrum/restricted antibiotics, antibiotic resistance and healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in neonates.MethodsWe searched PUBMED, SCIELO, EMBASE and the Cochrane Database (January 2000–April 2019) to identify studies on the effectiveness of ASPs in neonatal wards and/or neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Outcomes were as follows: reduction of antibiotic consumption overall and of broad-spectrum/target antibiotics, inappropriate antibiotic use, antibiotic resistance and HAIs. ASPs conducted in settings other than acute care hospitals, for children older than 1 month, and ASPs addressing antifungal and antiviral agents, were excluded.ResultsThe initial search identified 53 173 titles and abstracts; following the application of filters and inclusion criteria, a total of six publications were included in the final analysis. All studies, of which one was multi-centre study, were published after 2010. Five studies were conducted exclusively in NICUs. Four articles applied multimodal interventions. Reduction of antibiotic consumption overall and/or inappropriate antibiotic use were reported by four articles; reduction of broad-spectrum/targeted antibiotics were reported by four studies; No article evaluated the impact of ASPs on AMR or the incidence of HAI in neonates.ConclusionASPs can be effectively applied in neonatal settings. Limiting the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and shorting the duration of antibiotic treatment are the most promising approaches. The impact of ASPs on AMR and HAI needs to be evaluated in long-term studies.

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Impact of an antimicrobial stewardship programme on reducing broad-spectrum antibiotic use and its effect on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) in hospitals in Jordan

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy ◽

10.1093/jac/dkaa464 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Dawood Yusef ◽

Wail A Hayajneh ◽

Ali Bani Issa ◽

Rami Haddad ◽

Sayer Al-Azzam ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Acinetobacter Baumannii ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Broad Spectrum Antibiotic ◽

Carbapenem Resistant ◽

Restriction Policy ◽

Prior Approval ◽

Tertiary Teaching ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objectives To evaluate the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) on reducing broad-spectrum antibiotic use and its effect on carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAb) in hospitalized patients. Methods The study was a retrospective, ecological assessment in a tertiary teaching hospital over 6 years (January 2014 to December 2019). The intervention involved the implementation of an ASP in February 2018, which remains in effect today. This ASP consists of several components, including education, antibiotic guidelines, antibiotic restriction policy with prior approval, audit of compliance to the restriction policy and feedback. Restricted antibiotics were imipenem/cilastatin, ertapenem, meropenem, vancomycin, teicoplanin, tigecycline, colistin, amikacin, piperacillin/tazobactam, levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. The intervention was evaluated by time-series methods. Results Statistically significant decreases in the level of antibiotic use, after the introduction of the ASP, were observed for the following antibiotics: imipenem/cilastatin (P = 0.0008), all carbapenems (P = 0.0001), vancomycin (P = 0.0006), colistin (P = 0.0016) and third-generation cephalosporins (P = 0.0004). A statistically significant decrease in the slope, after the introduction of the ASP, for ertapenem (P = 0.0044) and ciprofloxacin (P = 0.0117) was observed. For piperacillin/tazobactam, there was a significant increasing trend (P = 0.0208) before the introduction of the ASP. However, this increased trend was halted post-introduction of the ASP (P = 0.4574). The introduction of the ASP was associated with a significant impact on reducing the levels of CRAb (P = 0.0237). Conclusions The introduced antimicrobial stewardship interventions contributed to a reduction in the use of several broad-spectrum antibiotics, reversed the trends of increasing use of other antibiotics and were associated with a significant reduction in CRAb.

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Evaluating a Pharmacy-Driven 72-Hour Antibiotic Monitoring Program Implemented in a Community Hospital

Hospital Pharmacy ◽

10.1177/0018578719867661 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 001857871986766

Author(s):

Vishal Patel ◽

Shaina Doyen

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Community Hospital ◽

Monitoring Program ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Audit And Feedback ◽

Broad Spectrum Antibiotic ◽

Days Of Therapy ◽

The Impact

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs commonly utilize infectious diseases pharmacists to guide appropriate utilization of broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Strategies should be developed to increase staff pharmacist’s participation in decreasing broad-spectrum antibiotic use. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a pharmacy-driven 72-hour antimicrobial stewardship initiative. Methods: A pharmacy-driven 72-hour antibiotic review policy was implemented at a community hospital. Targeted antibiotics included ertapenem, meropenem, and daptomycin. The hospital’s infectious diseases pharmacist provided policy education to staff pharmacists. All pharmacists provided prospective audit and feedback to physicians. Preimplementation and postimplementation data were collected through a retrospective chart review to analyze the impact of the initiative. Results: There were a total of 570 targeted antibiotic orders for review, of which 155 antibiotic orders met criteria for inclusion; 97 in the preimplementation group and 58 in the postimplementation group. Targeted antibiotic orders decreased postimplementation during the study period. Days of therapy per 1000 patient days decreased between the 2 groups, although this was statistically significant neither for the pooled targeted antibiotics nor for each individual antibiotic. There was a statistically significant increase in the number of appropriately prescribed targeted antibiotics from preimplementation compared to postimplementation (from 35% to 64%, P < .01). Pharmacist interventions documented for patients receiving the targeted antibiotics increased significantly during the intervention period ( P < .01). In addition, there was a total of $28 795.96 in cost avoidance based on the difference in antibiotic use between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Implementation of a pharmacy-driven 72-hour broad-spectrum antibiotic review in a large community-based hospital resulted in a reduction in utilization and hospital spending and a significant increase in appropriate use of targeted antibiotics, while also increasing pharmacist engagement with antimicrobial stewardship.

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114. Optimization of Inpatient Antibiotic Use via an Electronic Antimicrobial Stewardship Module and an Infectious Diseases Pharmacy Resident

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofab466.316 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S171-S171

Author(s):

Victor Chen ◽

Lauren Allen ◽

Hongkai Bao ◽

Kelsie Cowman ◽

Priya Nori ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infectious Diseases ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Cost Reduction ◽

Medical Center ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Health Crisis ◽

Days Of Therapy ◽

The Impact ◽

Research Grant

Abstract Background Antibiotic resistance is a public health crisis and antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) pharmacists serve a crucial role in preventing inappropriate use. At Montefiore Medical Center (1,500-bed hospital), a new electronic medical record AMS module was implemented with assistance from an infectious diseases (ID) pharmacy resident in October 2020. The module utilizes a dynamic scoring system to assist in prioritizing interventions, including bug-drug mismatches, insufficient coverage, or de-escalation. The AMS module is operationalized by ID pharmacists during the week and an ID pharmacy resident every other weekend. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of an ID pharmacy resident performing AMS module interventions on broad spectrum antibiotic use. Methods An observational study of AMS module interventions on antibiotic use (AU) in days of therapy per 1,000 days present and standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR) was performed. AU data for piperacillin-tazobactam (P/T) and SAAR prior to (October 2019– December 2019) and after (October 2020 – December 2020) the integration of an ID pharmacy resident and the AMS module was compared. Additional data collected included total number and type of interventions. Results A total of 539 interventions were made by AMS pharmacists and 36.5% of these were completed by the ID pharmacy resident. Across 6 different units, there was a statistically significant decrease in the SAAR for broad spectrum antibacterial agents (Figure 1), and a decrease of at least 10% in P/T use during the two different time periods (Table 1). An estimated P/T cost reduction of 26% of (&48,708 to &36,235.80) was observed. AMS pharmacists made 63 interventions in respective units. The top three intervention types were dose/frequency/duration recommendations, pharmacokinetic vancomycin dosing/monitoring, and de-escalation. The acceptance rate of interventions was 99% (534 accepted interventions/539 total interventions). Figure 1. SAAR Comparison of Broad-Spectrum Agents Table 1. AU Rate of Piperacillin-tazobactam Conclusion Overall, there was a statistically significant impact on SAARs and a >10% change in P/T AU rate with an estimated cost reduction >25% on select units after implementation of the AMS module with an ID pharmacy resident. Disclosures Kelsie Cowman, MPH, Merck (Research Grant or Support) Priya Nori, MD, Merck (Grant/Research Support) Priya Nori, MD, Nothing to disclose Yi Guo, PharmD, BCIDP, Merck (Research Grant or Support)

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229. Hospitalists Antimicrobial Scorecard Improves Antibiotic Prescribing at a Community Teaching Hospital

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.273 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S116-S116

Author(s):

Julia Sessa ◽

Helen Jacoby ◽

Bruce Blain ◽

Lisa Avery

Keyword(s):

Patient Care ◽

Teaching Hospital ◽

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Rank Order ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Outpatient Setting ◽

Antibiotic Prescribing ◽

Full Time ◽

Days Of Therapy ◽

The Impact

Abstract Background Measuring antimicrobial consumption data is a foundation of antimicrobial stewardship programs. There is data to support antimicrobial scorecard utilization to improve antibiotic use in the outpatient setting. There is a lack of data on the impact of an antimicrobial scorecard for hospitalists. Our objective was to improve antibiotic prescribing amongst the hospitalist service through the development of an antimicrobial scorecard. Methods Conducted in a 451-bed teaching hospital amongst 22 full time hospitalists. The antimicrobial scorecard for 2019 was distributed in two phases. In October 2019, baseline antibiotic prescribing data (January – September 2019) was distributed. In January 2020, a second scorecard was distributed (October – December 2019) to assess the impact of the scorecard. The scorecard distributed via e-mail to physicians included: Antibiotic days of therapy/1,000 patient care days (corrected for attending census), route of antibiotic prescribing (% intravenous (IV) vs % oral (PO)) and percentage of patients prescribed piperacillin-tazobactam (PT) for greater than 3 days. Hospitalists received their data in rank order amongst their peers. Along with the antimicrobial scorecard, recommendations from the antimicrobial stewardship team were included for hospitalists to improve their antibiotic prescribing for these initiatives. Hospitalists demographics (years of practice and gender) were collected. Descriptive statistics were utilized to analyze pre and post data. Results Sixteen (16) out of 22 (73%) hospitalists improved their antibiotic prescribing from pre- to post-scorecard (χ 2(1)=3.68, p = 0.055). The median antibiotic days of therapy/1,000 patient care days decreased from 661 pre-scorecard to 618 post-scorecard (p = 0.043). The median PT use greater than 3 days also decreased significantly, from 18% pre-scorecard to 11% post-scorecard (p = 0.0025). There was no change in % of IV antibiotic prescribing and no correlation between years of experience or gender to antibiotic prescribing. Conclusion Providing antimicrobial scorecards to our hospitalist service resulted in a significant decrease in antibiotic days of therapy/1,000 patient care days and PT prescribing beyond 3 days. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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Evaluation of Clinical Outcomes after Introduction of a Dedicated Infectious Diseases- Critical Care Medicine Service in Critical Care Units

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofab182 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Polina Trachuk ◽

Vagish Hemmige ◽

Ruth Eisenberg ◽

Kelsie Cowman ◽

Victor Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Critical Care ◽

Infectious Diseases ◽

Clinical Outcomes ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Critical Care Medicine ◽

Care Hospital ◽

Intervention Period ◽

Broad Spectrum Antibiotics ◽

Antibiotic Utilization ◽

The Impact

Abstract Objective Infection is a leading cause of admission to intensive care units (ICU), with critically ill patients often receiving empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. Nevertheless, a dedicated infectious diseases (ID) consultation and stewardship team is not routinely established. An ID-Critical Care Medicine (ID-CCM) pilot program was designed at a 400-bed tertiary care hospital in which an ID attending was assigned to participate in daily rounds with the ICU team, as well as provide ID consultation on select patients. We sought to evaluate the impact of this dedicated ID program on antibiotic utilization and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to the ICU. Method In this single site retrospective study, we analyzed antibiotic utilization and clinical outcomes in patients admitted to an ICU during post-intervention period from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017 and compared it to antibiotic utilization in the same ICUs during the pre-intervention period from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015. Results Our data showed a statistically significant reduction in usage of most frequently prescribed antibiotics including vancomycin, piperacillin-tazobactam and cefepime during the intervention period. When compared to pre-intervention period there was no difference in-hospital mortality, hospital length of stay and re-admission. Conclusion With this multidisciplinary intervention, we saw a decrease in the use of the most frequently prescribed broad-spectrum antibiotics without a negative impact on clinical outcomes. Our study shows that the implementation of an ID-CCM service is a feasible way to promote antibiotic stewardship in the ICU and can be used as a strategy to reduce unnecessary patient exposure to broad-spectrum agents.

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152. Applying A Difference-in-Difference Analysis to Assess Effect of Antimicrobial Stewardship Strategies on Changes in Antimicrobial Use

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.197 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S86-S86

Author(s):

Ann F Chou ◽

Yue Zhang ◽

Makoto M Jones ◽

Christopher J Graber ◽

Matthew B Goetz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Clinical Pharmacist ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Feedback Mechanism ◽

Health Care Facilities ◽

Antimicrobial Use ◽

Time Points ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact ◽

Over Time

Abstract Background About 30–50% of inpatient antimicrobial therapy is sub-optimal. Health care facilities have utilized various antimicrobial stewardship (AS) strategies to optimize appropriate antimicrobial use, improve health outcomes, and promote patient safety. However, little evidence exists to assess relationships between AS strategies and antimicrobial use. This study examined the impact of changes in AS strategies on antimicrobial use over time. Methods This study used data from the Veterans Affairs (VA) Healthcare Analysis & Informatics Group (HAIG) AS survey, administered at 130 VA facilities in 2012 and 2015, and antimicrobial utilization from VA Corporate Data Warehouse. Four AS strategies were examined: having an AS team, feedback mechanism on antimicrobial use, infectious diseases (ID) attending physicians, and clinical pharmacist on wards. Change in AS strategies were computed by taking the difference in the presence of a given strategy in a facility between 2012–2015. The outcome was the difference between antimicrobial use per 1000 patient days in 2012–2013 and 2015–2016. Employing multiple regression analysis, changes in antimicrobial use was estimated as a function of changes in AS strategies, controlling for ID human resources in and organizational complexity. Results Of the 4 strategies, only change in availability of AS teams had an impact on antimicrobial use. Compared to facilities with no AS teams at both time points, antibiotic use decreased by 63.9 uses per 1000 patient days in facilities that did not have a AS team in 2012 but implemented one in 2015 (p=0.0183). Facilities that had an AS team at both time points decreased use by 62.2 per 1000 patient days (p=0.0324). Conclusion The findings showed that AS teams reduced inpatient antibiotic use over time. While changes in having feedback on antimicrobial use and clinical pharmacist on wards showed reduced antimicrobial use between 2012–2015, the differences were not statistically significant. These strategies may already be a part of a comprehensive AS program and employed by AS teams. In further development of stewardship programs within healthcare organizations, the association between AS teams and antibiotic use should inform program design and implementation. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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Development of an Electronic Algorithm to Target Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Efforts for Acute Bronchitis

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1017/ice.2020.510 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 41 (S1) ◽

pp. s32-s32

Author(s):

Ebbing Lautenbach ◽

Keith Hamilton ◽

Robert Grundmeier ◽

Melinda Neuhauser ◽

Lauri Hicks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽

Predictive Value ◽

Gold Standard ◽

Chart Review ◽

Acute Bronchitis ◽

Antibiotic Use ◽

Antibiotic Prescribing ◽

Diagnostic Codes ◽

Icd 10 ◽

The Impact

Background: Antibiotic resistance has increased at alarming rates, driven predominantly by antibiotic overuse. Although most antibiotic use occurs in outpatients, antimicrobial stewardship programs have primarily focused on inpatient settings. A major challenge for outpatient stewardship is the lack of accurate and accessible electronic data to target interventions. We sought to develop and validate an electronic algorithm to identify inappropriate antibiotic use for outpatients with acute bronchitis. Methods: This study was conducted within the University of Pennsylvania Health System (UPHS). We used ICD-10 diagnostic codes to identify encounters for acute bronchitis at any outpatient UPHS practice between March 15, 2017, and March 14, 2018. Exclusion criteria included underlying immunocompromising condition, other comorbidity influencing the need for antibiotics (eg, emphysema), or ICD-10 code at the same visit for a concurrent infection (eg, sinusitis). We randomly selected 300 (150 from academic practices and 150 from nonacademic practices) eligible subjects for detailed chart abstraction that assessed patient demographics and practice and prescriber characteristics. Appropriateness of antibiotic use based on chart review served as the gold standard for assessment of the electronic algorithm. Because antibiotic use is not indicated for this study population, appropriateness was assessed based upon whether an antibiotic was prescribed or not. Results: Of 300 subjects, median age was 61 years (interquartile range, 50–68), 62% were women, 74% were seen in internal medicine (vs family medicine) practices, and 75% were seen by a physician (vs an advanced practice provider). On chart review, 167 (56%) subjects received an antibiotic. Of these subjects, 1 had documented concern for pertussis and 4 had excluding conditions for which there were no ICD-10 codes. One received an antibiotic prescription for a planned dental procedure. Thus, based on chart review, 161 (54%) subjects received antibiotics inappropriately. Using the electronic algorithm based on diagnostic codes, underlying and concurrent conditions, and prescribing data, the number of subjects with inappropriate prescribing was 170 (56%) because 3 subjects had antibiotic prescribing not noted based on chart review. The test characteristics of the electronic algorithm (compared to gold standard chart review) for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were the following: sensitivity, 100% (161 of 161); specificity, 94% (130 of 139); positive predictive value, 95% (161 of 170); and negative predictive value, 100% (130 of 130). Conclusions: For outpatients with acute bronchitis, an electronic algorithm for identification of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing is highly accurate. This algorithm could be used to efficiently assess prescribing among practices and individual clinicians. The impact of interventions based on this algorithm should be tested in future studies.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

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Changes in the Use of Broad-Spectrum Antibiotics after Cefepime Shortage: a Time Series Analysis

Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy ◽

10.1128/aac.05560-11 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 56 (2) ◽

pp. 989-994 ◽

Cited By ~ 12

Author(s):

C. Plüss-Suard ◽

A. Pannatier ◽

C. Ruffieux ◽

A. Kronenberg ◽

K. Mühlemann ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Time Series ◽

Pseudomonas Aeruginosa ◽

Broad Spectrum ◽

Interrupted Time Series ◽

Antibiotic Policy ◽

Content Type ◽

Broad Spectrum Antibiotics ◽

Before And After ◽

Alternative Antibiotic ◽

The Impact

ABSTRACTThe original cefepime product was withdrawn from the Swiss market in January 2007 and replaced by a generic 10 months later. The goals of the study were to assess the impact of this cefepime shortage on the use and costs of alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics, on antibiotic policy, and on resistance ofPseudomonas aeruginosatoward carbapenems, ceftazidime, and piperacillin-tazobactam. A generalized regression-based interrupted time series model assessed how much the shortage changed the monthly use and costs of cefepime and of selected alternative broad-spectrum antibiotics (ceftazidime, imipenem-cilastatin, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam) in 15 Swiss acute care hospitals from January 2005 to December 2008. Resistance ofP. aeruginosawas compared before and after the cefepime shortage. There was a statistically significant increase in the consumption of piperacillin-tazobactam in hospitals with definitive interruption of cefepime supply and of meropenem in hospitals with transient interruption of cefepime supply. Consumption of each alternative antibiotic tended to increase during the cefepime shortage and to decrease when the cefepime generic was released. These shifts were associated with significantly higher overall costs. There was no significant change in hospitals with uninterrupted cefepime supply. The alternative antibiotics for which an increase in consumption showed the strongest association with a progression of resistance were the carbapenems. The use of alternative antibiotics after cefepime withdrawal was associated with a significant increase in piperacillin-tazobactam and meropenem use and in overall costs and with a decrease in susceptibility ofP. aeruginosain hospitals. This warrants caution with regard to shortages and withdrawals of antibiotics.

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