Privileging pharmacists improves time to patient notification in the microbiological test review process for patients discharged from the emergency department

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S19-S24
Author(s):  
Steven M Loborec ◽  
Jose A Bazan ◽  
Nicole V Brown ◽  
Mary Beth Shirk ◽  
Trisha A Jordan

Abstract Purpose Results of a study evaluating the impact of privileging pharmacists to manage microbiologic test results for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) are reported. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective pre-post study that was conducted at an urban academic medical center. Patients discharged from the ED with a subsequent positive microbiologic test result before and after privileging of an ED specialty practice pharmacist (ED-SPP) to manage the results independently were screened for inclusion. Time to patient notification of a required change in antimicrobial therapy was compared between groups. Numbers of erroneous interventions before and after pharmacist privileging were compared to assess the safety of implementation. Results One hundred seventy-eight positive microbiologic test results (n = 92 pre- and n = 86 postimplementation) were included. The median time to patient notification in the pre-implementation group was 23.6 hours (range, 12.4-93 hours) and in the postimplementation group was 14.9 hours (range, 2.5-27.9 hours; P = 0.0023). As determined by the board-certified infectious disease physician, 1.1% of reviewed microbiologic test results (1 of 92) was erroneous prior to implementation of pharmacist privileging compared with 2.3% (2 of 86) after implementation (P = 0.6105). Conclusion Privileging ED-SPPs to assess microbiologic test results improved the time to patient notification with no statistical difference in the number of erroneous interventions between groups. These findings demonstrate the benefit of clinical privileging and provide support for expansion of this role to other ED-SPPs.

2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (8) ◽  
pp. 978-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Edmond ◽  
Nadia Masroor ◽  
Michael P. Stevens ◽  
Janis Ober ◽  
Gonzalo Bearman

The impact of discontinuing contact precautions for patients with MRSA and VRE colonization/infection on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates at an academic medical center was investigated in this before-and-after study. In the setting of a strong horizontal infection prevention platform, discontinuation of contact precautions had no impact on device-associated hospital-acquired infection rates.Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2015;36(8):978–980


Author(s):  
Erin Maxwell ◽  
James Amerine ◽  
Glenda Carlton ◽  
Jennifer L Cruz ◽  
Ashley L Pappas ◽  
...  

Abstract Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose Automatic therapeutic substitution (ATS) protocols are formulary tools that allow for provider-selected interchange from a nonformulary preadmission medication to a formulary equivalent. Previous studies have demonstrated that the application of clinical decision support (CDS) tools to ATS can decrease ATS errors at admission, but there are limited data describing the impact of CDS on discharge errors. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of CDS-supported interchanges on discharge prescription duplications or omissions. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective cohort study conducted at an academic medical center. Patients admitted between June 2017 and August 2019 were included if they were 18 years or older at admission, underwent an ATS protocol–approved interchange for 1 of the 9 included medication classes, and had a completed discharge medication reconciliation. The primary outcome was difference in incidence of therapeutic duplication or omission at discharge between the periods before and after CDS implementation. Results A total of 737 preimplementation encounters and 733 postimplementation encounters were included. CDS did not significantly decrease the incidence of discharge duplications or omissions (12.1% vs 11.2%; 95% confidence interval [CI], –2.3% to 4.2%) nor the incidence of admission duplication or inappropriate reconciliation (21.4% vs 20.7%; 95% CI, –3.4% to 4.8%) when comparing the pre- and postimplementation periods. Inappropriate reconciliation was the primary cause of discharge medication errors for both groups. Conclusion CDS implementation was not associated with a decrease in discharge omissions, duplications, or inappropriate reconciliation. Findings highlight the need for thoughtful medication reconciliation at the point of discharge.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S354-S354
Author(s):  
Meera Mehta ◽  
Douglas Slain ◽  
Lisa Keller ◽  
P Rocco Lasala

Abstract Background Biofire respiratory panel is a multiplex PCR test designed to detect 17 pathogens within 1 hour. It has greater sensitivity, specificity, and number of pathogens detected compared with older testing methods. The aim of this research was to evaluate the impact of Biofire respiratory panel on antibiotic usage in the emergency department (ED) of an academic medical center. Methods This was an observational chart review. Patients with positive RSV or influenza rapid antigen test or PCR test, and patients with a positive Biofire test were included. RSV or influenza tests were reviewed from July to December 2015, and Biofire tests were reviewed from July to December 2016. The primary outcome was to evaluate the duration of antibiotic therapy in patients with viral respiratory infections diagnosed with RSV and influenza rapid antigen and PCR testing compared with Biofire viral respiratory panel. Secondary outcomes included virus type, antibiotic prescription rates on discharge, number of addmissions, procalcitonin levels, and oseltamivir usage. Results In 2016, 67% (105/155) of biofire tests were positive. The most common pathogen was rhinovirus and enterovirus (42%). Of the positive results, 23/105 (22%) received antibiotics with 6 patients having antibiotics discontinued within 72 hours. Another 6 patients had bacterial coinfections. A total of 18/105 (17%) received antibiotic prescriptions on discharge. Median days of therapy (DOT) in hospital was 1 day and median DOT for prescriptions was 8.5 days. There were 5 procalcitonin tests and no oseltamivir usage. Overall 38/105 (36%) patients were admitted to inpatient. In 2015, 3% (20/1313) of RSV (14) and influenza (6) rapid antigen and PCR tests were positive. A total of 5/20 (25%) patients received antibiotics, with 3/20 (15%) patients receiving a prescription for outpatient antibiotics. Median DOT in the hospital was 3 days and median DOT for prescriptions was 10 days. There were 2 procalcitonin tests and 2 cases used oseltamivir. Overall 19 patients were admitted. Conclusion Antibiotics are witheld in the majority of patients with positive Biofire testing. Most patients were treated with supportive care measures only. Biofire continues to be a useful tool to identify candidates for antibiotic avoidance in the ED at our institution. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s114-s115
Author(s):  
Alexandra Johnson ◽  
Bobby Warren ◽  
Deverick John Anderson ◽  
Melissa Johnson ◽  
Isabella Gamez ◽  
...  

Background: Stethoscopes are a known vector for microbial transmission; however, common strategies used to clean stethoscopes pose certain barriers that prevent routine cleaning after every use. We aimed to determine whether using readily available alcohol-based hand rub (ABHR) would effectively reduce bacterial bioburden on stethoscopes in a real-world setting. Methods: We performed a randomized study on inpatient wards of an academic medical center to assess the impact of using ABHR (AlcareExtra; ethyl alcohol, 80%) on the bacterial bioburden of stethoscopes. Stethoscopes were obtained from healthcare providers after routine use during an inpatient examination and were randomized to control (no intervention) or ABHR disinfection (2 pumps applied to tubing and bell or diaphragm by study personnel, then allowed to dry). Cultures of the tubing and bell or diaphragm were obtained with premoistened cellulose sponges. Sponges were combined with 1% Tween20-PBS and mixed in the Seward Stomacher. The homogenate was centrifuged and all but ~5 mL of the supernatant was discarded. Samples were plated on sheep’s blood agar and selective media for clinically important pathogens (CIPs) including S. aureus, Enterococcus spp, and gram-negative bacteria (GNB). CFU count was determined by counting the number of colonies on each plate and using dilution calculations to calculate the CFU of the original ~5 mL homogenate. Results: In total, 80 stethoscopes (40 disinfection, 40 control) were sampled from 46 physicians (MDs) and MD students (57.5%), 13 advanced practice providers (16.3%), and 21 nurses (RNs) and RN students (26.3%). The median CFU count was ~30-fold lower in the disinfection arm compared to control (106 [IQR, 50–381] vs 3,320 [986–4,834]; P < .0001). The effect was consistent across provider type, frequency of recent usual stethoscope cleaning, age, and status of pet ownership (Fig. 1). Overall, 26 of 80 (33%) of stethoscopes harbored CIP. The presence of CIP was lower but not significantly different for stethoscopes that underwent disinfection versus controls: S. aureus (25% vs 32.5%), Enterococcus (2.5% vs 10%), and GNB (2.5% vs 5%). Conclusions: Stethoscopes may serve as vectors for clean hands to become recontaminated immediately prior to performing patient care activities. Using ABHR to clean stethoscopes after every use is a practical and effective strategy to reduce overall bacterial contamination that can be easily incorporated into clinical workflow. Larger studies are needed to determine the efficacy of ABHR at removing CIP from stethoscopes as stethoscopes in both arms were frequently contaminated with CIP. Prior cleaning of stethoscopes on the study day did not seem to impact contamination rates, suggesting the impact of alcohol foam disinfection is short-lived and may need to be repeated frequently (ie, after each use).Funding: NoneDisclosures: NoneDisclosures: NoneFunding: None


Healthcare ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 100514
Author(s):  
Krisda H. Chaiyachati ◽  
Katy Mahraj ◽  
Carolina Garzon Mrad ◽  
Christina J. O'Malley ◽  
Marguerite Balasta ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S188-S189
Author(s):  
Deepika Sivakumar ◽  
Shelbye R Herbin ◽  
Raymond Yost ◽  
Marco R Scipione

Abstract Background Inpatient antibiotic use early on in the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased due to the inability to distinguish between bacterial and COVID-19 pneumonia. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of COVID-19 on antimicrobial usage during three separate waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients admitted to Detroit Medical Center between 3/10/19 to 4/24/21. Median days of therapy per 1000 adjusted patient days (DOT/1000 pt days) was evaluated for all administered antibiotics included in our pneumonia guidelines during 4 separate time periods: pre-COVID (3/3/19-4/27/19); 1st wave (3/8/20-5/2/20); 2nd wave (12/6/21-1/30/21); and 3rd wave (3/7/21-4/24/21). Antibiotics included in our pneumonia guidelines include: amoxicillin, azithromycin, aztreonam, ceftriaxone, cefepime, ciprofloxacin, doxycycline, linezolid, meropenem, moxifloxacin, piperacillin-tazobactam, tobramycin, and vancomycin. The percent change in antibiotic use between the separate time periods was also evaluated. Results An increase in antibiotics was seen during the 1st wave compared to the pre-COVID period (2639 [IQR 2339-3439] DOT/1000 pt days vs. 2432 [IQR 2291-2499] DOT/1000 pt days, p=0.08). This corresponded to an increase of 8.5% during the 1st wave. This increase did not persist during the 2nd and 3rd waves of the pandemic, and the use decreased by 8% and 16%, respectively, compared to the pre-COVID period. There was an increased use of ceftriaxone (+6.5%, p=0.23), doxycycline (+46%, p=0.13), linezolid (+61%, p=0.014), cefepime (+50%, p=0.001), and meropenem (+29%, p=0.25) during the 1st wave compared to the pre-COVID period. Linezolid (+39%, p=0.013), cefepime (+47%, p=0.08) and tobramycin (+47%, p=0.05) use remained high during the 3rd wave compared to the pre-COVID period, but the use was lower when compared to the 1st and 2nd waves. Figure 1. Antibiotic Use 01/2019 to 04/2019 Conclusion Antibiotics used to treat bacterial pneumonia during the 1st wave of the pandemic increased and there was a shift to broader spectrum agents during that period. The increased use was not sustained during the 2nd and 3rd waves of the pandemic, possibly due to the increased awareness of the differences between patients who present with COVID-19 pneumonia and bacterial pneumonia. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S98-S98
Author(s):  
Hannah Kafisheh ◽  
Matthew Hinton ◽  
Amanda Binkley ◽  
Christo Cimino ◽  
Christopher Edwards

Abstract Background Suboptimal antimicrobial therapy has resulted in the emergence of multi-drug resistant organisms. The objective of this study was to optimize the time to antimicrobial therapy modification for patients discharged from the emergency department (ED) of an academic medical center through implementation of a pharmacist-driven outpatient antimicrobial stewardship initiative (ASI). Methods This was a pre-post, quasi-experimental study that evaluated the impact of a pharmacist-driven outpatient antimicrobial stewardship initiative at a single academic medical center. The pre-cohort was evaluated through manual electronic medical record (EMR) review, while the post-cohort involved a real-time notification alert system through an electronic clinical surveillance application. The difference in time from positive culture result to antimicrobial therapy optimization before and after implementation of the pharmacist-driven ASI was collected and analyzed. Results A total of 166 cultures were included in the analysis. Of these, 12/72 (16%) in the pre-cohort and 11/94 (12%) in the post-cohort required antimicrobial therapy modification, with a 21.9-hour reduction in median time from positive culture result to antimicrobial optimization in the post-cohort (43 h vs. 21.1 h; p &lt; 0.01). Similarly, the median time from positive culture result to review was reduced by 20 hours with pharmacist-driven intervention (21.1 h vs. 1.4 h; p &lt; 0.01). Conclusion The implementation of a pharmacist-driven outpatient antimicrobial stewardship initiative resulted in a significant reduction in time to positive culture review and therapy optimization for patients discharged from the ED of an academic medical center set in Philadelphia, PA. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


Author(s):  
Ina Liko ◽  
Lisa Corbin ◽  
Eric Tobin ◽  
Christina L Aquilante ◽  
Yee Ming Lee

Abstract Disclaimer In an effort to expedite the publication of articles related to the COVID-19 pandemic, AJHP is posting these manuscripts online as soon as possible after acceptance. Accepted manuscripts have been peer-reviewed and copyedited, but are posted online before technical formatting and author proofing. These manuscripts are not the final version of record and will be replaced with the final article (formatted per AJHP style and proofed by the authors) at a later time. Purpose We describe the implementation of a pharmacist-provided pharmacogenomics (PGx) service in an executive health program (EHP) at an academic medical center. Summary As interest in genomic testing grows, pharmacists have the opportunity to advance the use of PGx in EHPs, in collaboration with other healthcare professionals. In November 2018, a pharmacist-provided PGx service was established in the EHP at the University of Colorado Hospital. The team members included 3 physicians, a pharmacist trained in PGx, a registered dietitian/exercise physiologist, a nurse, and 2 medical assistants. We conducted 4 preimplementation steps: (1) assessment of the patient population, (2) selection of a PGx test, (3) establishment of a visit structure, and (4) selection of a billing model. The PGx consultations involved two 1-hour visits. The first visit encompassed pretest PGx education, review of the patient’s current medications and previous medication intolerances, and DNA sample collection for genotyping. After this visit, the pharmacist developed a therapeutic plan based on the PGx test results, discussed the results and plan with the physician, and created a personalized PGx report. At the second visit, the pharmacist reviewed the PGx test results, personalized the PGx report, and discussed the PGx-guided therapeutic plan with the patient. Overall, the strategy worked well; minor challenges included evaluation of gene-drug pairs with limited PGx evidence, communication of information to non-EHP providers, scheduling issues, and reimbursement. Conclusion The addition of a PGx service within an EHP was feasible and provided pharmacists the opportunity to lead PGx efforts and collaborate with physicians to expand the precision medicine footprint at an academic medical center.


Circulation ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 142 (Suppl_3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Merilyn S Varghese ◽  
Jordan B Strom ◽  
Sarah Fostello ◽  
Warren J Manning

Introduction: COVID-19 has significantly impacted hospital systems worldwide. The impact of statewide stay-at-home mandates on echocardiography volumes is unclear. Methods: We queried our institutional echocardiography database from 6/1/2018 to 6/13/2020 to examine rates of transthoracic (TTE), stress (SE), and transesophageal echocardiograms (TEE) prior to and following the COVID-19 Massachusetts stay-at-home order on March 15, 2020. Results: Among 36,377 total studies performed during the study period, mean weekly study volume dropped from 332 + 3 TTEs/week, 30 + 1 SEs/week, and 21 + 1 TEEs/week prior to the stay-at-home order (6/1/2018-3/15/2020) to 158 + 13 TTEs/week, 8 + 2 SEs/week, and 8 + 1 TEEs/week after (% change, -52%, -73%, and -62% respectively, all p < 0.001 when comparing volume prior to March 15 versus after). Weekly TTEs correlated strongly with hospital admissions throughout the study period (r = 0.93, 95% CI 0.89-0.95, p < 0.001) ( Figure ). Outpatient TTEs declined more than inpatient TTEs (% change, -74% vs. -39%, p <0.001). As of 3 weeks following the cessation of the stay-at-home order, TTE, SE, and TEE weekly volumes have increased to 73%, 66%, and 81% of pre-pandemic levels, respectively. Conclusions: Echocardiography volumes fell precipitously following the Massachusetts stay-at-home order, strongly paralleling declines in overall hospitalizations. Outpatient TTEs declined more than inpatient TTEs. Despite lifting of the order, echocardiography volumes remain substantially below pre-pandemic levels. The impact of the decreased use of echocardiographic services on patient outcomes remains to be determined.


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