scholarly journals 181. Limited Effectiveness of an EMR Alert-Based Antibiotic Timeout Procedure in Solid Tumor Cancer Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S97-S98
Author(s):  
Jonathan M Hyak ◽  
Mayar Al Mohajer ◽  
Benjamin Musher
Keyword(s):  
Solid Tumor ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Arrest ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Limited Effectiveness ◽  
Days Of Therapy ◽  
Before And After

Abstract Background Computer-based antibiotic time-outs, in which providers receive automated electronic medical record (EMR) alerts regarding continuation of inpatient antibiotics (Anb), are common stewardship initiatives. We assessed the efficacy of such an intervention in oncology patients (pts), who frequently receive Anb when hospitalized. Methods An EMR alert triggered 48 hours after starting vancomycin (vanc), cefepime (cef), piperacillin-tazobactam (pip-tazo), meropenem (mero), and fluoroquinolones (flq) was initiated in a tertiary care hospital in November 2018. To assess the efficacy of the intervention in adults with solid tumor malignancies, demographic, vital sign, laboratory, and treatment data were extracted retrospectively from the EMR. Pts with neutropenic fever, organ transplant, trauma, and cardiopulmonary arrest were excluded. We compared length of therapy [LOT; days of therapy per 1000 patient-days (DOT/1000 pd)] via t-test and incidence rate ratio (IRR) for 3- and 12-month periods preceding and following the intervention. November 2018 was excluded as a washout period. Results The groups did not differ by age, sex, length of stay, or rate of bacteremia (Table 1). Comparing the 3 months before and after the intervention, neither mean LOT (2.9 ± 0.20 vs 2.6 ± 0.14 DOT/1000 pd, p=0.31) nor rate of Anb use changed (IRR 0.97, p=0.32). However, when considering only the Anb targeted by the intervention, cef usage was 1.4 times higher post- intervention (p=0.002), while use of other Anb was similar (Table 2). Comparing 12 months before to 12 months after the intervention, mean LOT was longer after (0.74 ± 0.018) than before (0.68 ± 0.020 DOT/1000 pd; p=0.03), and Anb use increased (IRR 1.3, p< 0.0001). Specifically, mero (IRR 1.8, p< 0.0001) and cef (1.6, p< 0.0001) were used more frequently after the intervention while none were used less (table 2). Table 1: Study Group Characteristics Table 2: Antibiotic Use Three Months Before and After, and Twelve Months Before and After, the Intervention Conclusion Despite wide adoption and efficacy in other populations, an EMR-based Anb time-out did not mitigate the continuation of Anb among inpatients with solid tumors. The intervention may require additional measures, such as an active role for pharmacy, to be effective. However, qualitative studies may also be required to understand why providers are hesitant to limit Anb use in this population. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Clinical prediction of bacteremia and early antibiotics therapy in patients with solid tumors

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Jonathan M. Hyak ◽  
Mayar Al Mohajer ◽  
Daniel M. Musher ◽  
Benjamin L. Musher
Keyword(s):  
Solid Tumors ◽  
Solid Tumor ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Arrest ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Tumor Patients ◽  
Binomial Regression ◽  
Sirs Criteria

Abstract Objective: To investigate the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), early antibiotic use, and bacteremia in solid-tumor patients. Design, setting, and participants: We conducted a retrospective observational study of adults with solid tumors admitted to a tertiary-care hospital through the emergency department over a 2-year period. Patients with neutropenic fever, organ transplant, trauma, or cardiopulmonary arrest were excluded. Methods: Rates of SIRS, bacteremia, and early antibiotics (initiation within 8 hours of presentation) were compared using the χ2 and Student t tests. Binomial regression and receiver operator curves were analyzed to assess predictors of bacteremia and early antibiotics. Results: Early antibiotics were administered in 507 (37%) of 1,344 SIRS-positive cases and 492 (22%) of 2,236 SIRS-negative cases (P < .0001). Of SIRS-positive cases, 70% had blood cultures drawn within 48 hours and 19% were positive; among SIRS negative cases, 35% had cultures and 13% were positive (19% vs 13%; P = .003). Bacteremic cases were more often SIRS positive than nonbacteremic cases (60% vs 50%; P =.003), but they received early antibiotics at similar rates (50% vs 49%, P = .72). Three SIRS components predicted early antibiotics: temperature (OR, 1.7; 95% CI, 1.31–2.29; P = .0001), tachycardia (OR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.10–1.69; P < .0001), and white blood-cell count (OR, 1.8; 95% CI, 1.56–2.14; P < .0001). Only temperature (OR, 1.6; 95% CI, 1.09–2.41; P = .01) and tachycardia (OR, 1.5; 95% CI, 1.09–2.06; P = .01) predicted bacteremia. SIRS criteria as a composite were poorly predictive of bacteremia (AUC, 0.57). Conclusions: SIRS criteria are frequently used to determine the need for early antibiotics, but they are poor predictors of bacteremia in solid-tumor patients. More reliable models are needed to guide judicious use of antibiotics in this population.

scholarly journals 198. Clinical Prediction of Bacteremia and the Need for Early Antibiotic Therapy in Solid Tumor Cancer Patients

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S103-S104
Author(s):  
Jonathan M Hyak ◽  
Mayar Al Mohajer ◽  
Daniel Musher ◽  
Benjamin Musher
Keyword(s):  
Cancer Patients ◽  
Solid Tumor ◽  
Cardiopulmonary Arrest ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Vital Signs ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Robust Model ◽  
Binomial Regression ◽  
Sirs Criteria

Abstract Background Cancer patients (pts) frequently receive empiric antibiotics without clear indication. This retrospective study investigated the relationship between the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), early antibiotic (Anb) use, and bacteremia in solid tumor pts presenting to the emergency department (ED). Methods We extracted data from the electronic medical records of adults with solid tumors admitted to a tertiary care hospital through the ED for any reason over a 2 year period. Pts with neutropenic fever, organ transplant, trauma, or cardiopulmonary arrest were excluded. Rates of SIRS and bacteremia among pts receiving early Anb (eAnb, within 8 hours of admission) were compared to all others using χ 2. Binomial regression and receiver operator curves assessed predictors of bacteremia. Results Of 3580 eligible pts, 1344 pts were SIRS positive (≥ 2 criteria) and 2236 were SIRS negative; 501 (37%) and 493 (22%), respectively, received eAnb (p&lt; 0.001). eAnb use increased with additional SIRS criteria (Fig 1). Of SIRS positive pts, 860 (64%) had BCs drawn within 48 hrs of presentation, of which 19% were positive. Of SIRS negative pts, 826 (37%) had cultures drawn within 48 hrs of presentation, of which 14% were positive (19% vs 14%, p=0.004). Of pts who had BCs drawn, the proportion of positive BCs among those who received eAnb and those who did not was identical (16% in each group; p=1). Of 276 pts ultimately proven to have bacteremia within 48 hrs, only 59% were SIRS positive, and only 49% received eAnb in the ED. By regression, only two SIRS components predicted bacteremia, fever (OR 1.8 ± 0.39, p=0.01) and tachycardia (1.4 ± 0.22, p=0.03), and SIRS criteria as a whole were poorly predictive of bacteremia (AUC 0.57, Table 1). A more robust model, which included additional labs and vital signs, was only marginally better (AUC 0.61, Table 2). Figure 1: Proportion of patients receiving early antibiotics by SIRS score Table 1: SIRS as a predictor of bacteremia Table 2: Best predictive model of bacteremia Conclusion Clinicians still use SIRS criteria to determine the need for eAnb. However, SIRS criteria are poor predictors of bacteremia in solid tumor pts, who frequently manifest them due to complications of cancer or cancer-directed therapy rather than infection. Furthermore, patients who are SIRS negative may be bacteremic. More reliable models are needed to guide judicious use of Anb in the solid tumor population. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals 600. Decreased Hospital Readmission After Programmatic Strengthening of an Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S362-S363
Author(s):  
Gaurav Agnihotri ◽  
Alan E Gross ◽  
Minji Seok ◽  
Cheng Yu Yen ◽  
Farah Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hospital Readmission ◽  
Multinomial Logistic Regression ◽  
Univariate Analysis ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Although it is recommended that an OPAT program should be managed by a formal OPAT team that supports the treating physician, many OPAT programs face challenges in obtaining necessary program staff (i.e nurses or pharmacists) due to limited data examining the impact of a dedicated OPAT team on patient outcomes. Our objective was to compare OPAT-related readmission rates among patients receiving OPAT before and after the implementation of a strengthened OPAT program. Methods This retrospective quasi-experiment compared adult patients discharged on intravenous (IV) antibiotics from the University of Illinois Hospital before and after implementation of programmatic changes to strengthen the OPAT program. Data from our previous study were used as the pre-intervention group (1/1/2012 to 8/1/2013), where only individual infectious disease (ID) physicians coordinated OPAT. Post-intervention (10/1/2017 to 1/1/2019), a dedicated OPAT nurse provided full time support to the treating ID physicians through care coordination, utilization of protocols for lab monitoring and management, and enhanced documentation. Factors associated with readmission for OPAT-related problems at a significance level of p&lt; 0.1 in univariate analysis were eligible for testing in a forward stepwise multinomial logistic regression to identify independent predictors of readmission. Results Demographics, antimicrobial indications, and OPAT administration location of the 428 patients pre- and post-intervention are listed in Table 1. After implementation of the strengthened OPAT program, the readmission rate due to OPAT-related complications decreased from 17.8% (13/73) to 6.5% (23/355) (p=0.001). OPAT-related readmission reasons included: infection recurrence/progression (56%), adverse drug reaction (28%), or line-associated issues (17%). Independent predictors of hospital readmission due to OPAT-related problems are listed in Table 2. Table 1. OPAT Patient Demographics and Factors Pre- and Post-intervention Table 2. Factors independently associated with hospital readmission in OPAT patients Conclusion An OPAT program with dedicated staff at a large academic tertiary care hospital was independently associated with decreased risk for readmission, which provides critical evidence to substantiate additional resources being dedicated to OPAT by health systems in the future. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Latent vestibular dysfunction and its effect on quality of life in elderly individuals, the need of active screening and intervention

2018 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 1258
Author(s):  
Himanshu Swami ◽  
Aravind B. M.
Keyword(s):  
Quality Of Life ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
The Elderly ◽  
Vestibular Dysfunction ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Dizziness Handicap Inventory ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Dizziness is a commonly reported complaint among elderly.. Among the elderly in particular, factors such as Ageing, presbycusis, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, osteopenia, and osteoporosis increase the risk. Dizziness handicap inventory is used to assess the quality of life among the individuals with vestibular dysfunction. This is also used to assess the impact of interventions for vestibular dysfunction. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of latent vestibular dysfunction among the Indian population, and the impact of interventions among the same.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> A prospective observational study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital. As per sample size estimates, 200 participants aged &gt;60 years without previous diagnosis of vestibular dysfunction were screened using appropriate tests. The quality of life of the affected individuals were assessed using Dizziness Handicap Inventory Score (DHIS) before and after intervention.  </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The prevalence of latent vestibular dysfunction was found to be 23.5%. Most of them reported having moderate handicap due to the condition. Following intervention, those with moderate handicap either became normal (47.8%) or had residual mild handicap (52.2%). The mean DHIS score significantly decreased from 40.91 points during pre-intervention to 16.12 points post-intervention.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Around one-fourth of the Indian elderly is found to have latent vestibular dysfunction. It has a major impact on the individual’s quality of life. Yet, screening and intervention is found to make a considerable improvement among the affected individuals.</p>

scholarly journals Impact of legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying on the Use of Palliative Sedation in a Tertiary Care Hospital: A Retrospective Chart Review

2021 ◽  
pp. 104990912110304
Author(s):  
Amy Nolen ◽  
Rawaa Olwi ◽  
Selby Debbie
Keyword(s):  
Palliative Care ◽  
Acute Care ◽  
Tertiary Care Hospital ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Palliative Sedation ◽  
Palliative Care Unit ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Medical Assistance ◽  
Medical Assistance In Dying ◽  
Before And After

Background: Patients approaching end of life may experience intractable symptoms managed with palliative sedation. The legalization of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada in 2016 offers a new option for relief of intolerable suffering, and there is limited evidence examining how the use of palliative sedation has evolved with the introduction of MAiD. Objectives: To compare rates of palliative sedation at a tertiary care hospital before and after the legalization of MAiD. Methods: This study is a retrospective chart analysis of all deaths of patients followed by the palliative care consult team in acute care, or admitted to the palliative care unit. We compared the use of palliative sedation during 1-year periods before and after the legalization of MAiD, and screened charts for MAiD requests during the second time period. Results: 4.7% (n = 25) of patients who died in the palliative care unit pre-legalization of MAiD received palliative sedation compared to 14.6% (n = 82) post-MAiD, with no change in acute care. Post-MAiD, 4.1% of deaths were medically-assisted deaths in the palliative care unit (n = 23) and acute care (n = 14). For patients who requested MAiD but instead received palliative sedation, the primary reason was loss of decisional capacity to consent for MAiD. Conclusion: We believe that the mainstream presence of MAiD has resulted in an increased recognition of MAiD and palliative sedation as distinct entities, and rates of palliative sedation increased post-MAiD due to greater awareness about patient choice and increased comfort with end-of-life options.

scholarly journals Prevalence and clinical correlation of hepatitis E virus antibody in the patients’ serum samples from a tertiary care hospital in Thailand during 2015–2018

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atiporn Boonyai ◽  
Anchalee Thongput ◽  
Thidarat Sisaeng ◽  
Parisut Phumchan ◽  
Navin Horthongkham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
Organ Transplant ◽  
Hospital Setting ◽  
Antibody Detection ◽  
Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Serum Samples ◽  
Igm Antibodies

Abstract Background Prevalence and incidence of hepatitis caused by HEV infection are usually higher in developing countries. This study demonstrated the HEV seroprevalence and incidence of HEV infection in patients with clinical hepatitis in a tertiary hospital in Thailand. Methods A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted using 1106 serum samples from patients suspected of HEV infection sent to the Serology laboratory, Siriraj Hospital, for detecting HEV antibodies during 2015–2018. Prevalence of anti-HEV IgG and IgM antibodies in general patients, including organ transplant recipients and pregnant women in a hospital setting, were determined using indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. Comparison of laboratory data between groups with different HEV serological statuses was performed. Results HEV IgG antibodies were detected in 40.82% of 904 serum samples, while HEV IgM antibodies were detected in 11.75% of 1081 serum samples. Similar IgG and IgM antibody detection rates were found in pregnant women. Interestingly, anti-HEV IgM antibodies were detected in 38.5% of patients who underwent organ transplantation. Patients who tested positive for anti-HEV IgM antibodies had higher alanine aminotransferase levels than those who had not. In contrast, patients who tested positive for anti-HEV IgG had more elevated levels of total bilirubin than those who tested negative. Conclusions HEV seroprevalence and incidence in patients with clinical hepatitis were relatively high in the Thai population, including the pregnancy and organ transplant subgroups. The results potentially benefit the clinicians in decision-making to investigate HEV antibodies and facilitating proper management for patients.

scholarly journals Daily Bathing with Chlorhexidine-Based Soap and the Prevention of Staphylococcus aureus Transmission and Infection

2014 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa A. Viray ◽  
James C. Morley ◽  
Craig M. Coopersmith ◽  
Marin H. Kollef ◽  
Victoria J. Fraser ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
At Risk ◽  
Staphylococcus Aureus ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Control Unit ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Icu Patients ◽  
Chlorhexidine Bathing ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Surgical Icu ◽  
Time Series Methodology

Objective.Determine whether daily bathing with chlorhexidine-based soap decreased methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) transmission and intensive care unit (ICU)-acquired S. aureus infection among ICU patients.Design.Prospective pre-post-intervention study with control unit.Setting.A 1,250-bed tertiary care teaching hospital.Patients.Medical and surgical ICU patients.Methods.Active surveillance for MRSA colonization was performed in both ICUs. In June 2005, a chlorhexidine bathing protocol was implemented in the surgical ICU. Changes in S. aureus transmission and infection rate before and after implementation were analyzed using time-series methodology.Results.The intervention unit had a 20.68% decrease in MRSA acquisition after institution of the bathing protocol (12.64 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk before the intervention vs 10.03 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk after the intervention; β, −2.62 [95% confidence interval (CI), −5.19 to −0.04]; P = .046). There was no significant change in MRSA acquisition in the control ICU during the study period (10.97 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk before June 2005 vs 11.33 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk after June 2005; β, −11.10 [95% CI, −37.40 to 15.19]; P = .40). There was a 20.77% decrease in all S. aureus (including MRSA) acquisition in the intervention ICU from 2002 through 2007 (19.73 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk before the intervention to 15.63 cases per 1,000 patient-days at risk after the intervention [95% CI, −7.25 to −0.95]; P = .012)]. The incidence of ICU-acquired MRSA infections decreased by 41.37% in the intervention ICU (1.96 infections per 1,000 patient-days at risk before the intervention vs 1.15 infections per 1,000 patient-days at risk after the intervention; P = .001).Conclusions.Institution of daily chlorhexidine bathing in an ICU resulted in a decrease in the transmission of S. aureus, including MRSA. These data support the use of routine daily chlorhexidine baths to decrease rates of S. aureus transmission and infection.

Abstract 448: Impact of Novel Healthcare Facility First Responder Training on Resuscitation Task Self-Efficacy Measures

Circulation ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 140 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Les R Becker ◽  
Cheryl Camacho ◽  
Sheryl J Titus ◽  
Janet L Thorne ◽  
Munish Goyal
Keyword(s):  
Ambulatory Care ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Care Center ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Sudden Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Healthcare Facility ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Ambulatory Care Setting ◽  
Before And After

Introduction: When sudden cardiac arrest occurs in non-resuscitation focused care settings, bedside clinicians may not intervene prior to dedicated resuscitation team arrival. As perceived self-efficacy (SE) contributes to cognitive functioning, facilitating effective intervention, we developed and evaluated a mock code training approach, First Five (FF) , to enhance bedside responders’ resuscitation task SE using an entity’s defibrillator and manikin. Self-efficacy is knowing that one can perform actions in principle and envision performing the steps to reach a goal. Hypotheses: Participants’ resuscitation SE will improve after FF training; 2) Inpatient (IP) and Ambulatory Care Center (ACC) providers will differ in their pre-SE and post-SE in response to FF training. Methods: Participants enrolled from ACCs and medical-surgical IP units at a large, urban tertiary care hospital from May 2018 to April 2019 completed a de-identified 10-point Likert-scale SE survey before and after they were trained to perform initial bedside resuscitation tasks (Figure 1 x-axis labels). Matched, complete, pre/post data for 85 in-hospital and 107 ACC participants were analyzed via repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance. Results: Patterns of reported change in the seven resuscitation task SE measures of IP personnel differed significantly from those of ACC personnel [Pillai’s Trace = .222, F(7,184)=7.483, p=.0005, partial η 2 = .222]. In both settings, post-session SE measures increased significantly from pre-session SE measures [Pillai’s Trace = .588, F(7,184)=37.438, p=.0005, partial η 2 = .588]. Moreover, though ACC providers consistently reported lower pre-training SE resuscitation task scores, post-training scores from both settings were comparable (Figure 1). Conclusions: First Five training is effective in enhancing resuscitation task SE among inpatient and ambulatory care setting providers that are not resuscitation-focused.

THE EFFECT OF TASK ORIENTED FUNCTIONAL TRAINING PROGRAMME IN ELDERLY WITH HEMORRHAGIC STROKE- A CASE STUDY

2021 ◽  
pp. 63-65
Author(s):  
Anuradha Pai ◽  
Shiksha Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Daily Living ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Stair Climbing ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Functional Training ◽  
Activity Promotion ◽  
Task Oriented ◽  
Bed Mobility

BACKGROUND- A 70 year old unknown male patient was found unconscious on road and was brought to tertiary care hospital. On investigations and clinical correlation, patient was diagnosed as a case of left hemiparesis secondary to acute middle cerebral artery infarct. Patient regained consciousness on next day and was in state of complete dependence for bed mobility and daily living activities. He was managed conservatively and was referred to occupational therapy department for further management. METHOD- Patient was evaluated by using uniform terminology. Modied Barthel index, Modied Rankin Scale, Basic MOCA scale and Stroke Specic QOL scales were administered. Patient was given intervention for 5 weeks. Enabling activities with self-care functional activities were practised. Accident prevention, activity promotion, Compensatory strategies and environmental modications were done. Scales were administered post intervention and comparative data was obtained. RESULT- Change of pre-intervention and post- intervention score indicates improvements in performing activities of daily living, reduced disability, improved cognition and quality of living. There were signicant improvement in activities like eating, drinking milk, in bed mobility dressing and coming to sit. Minimum to moderate improvement was seen in activities like toileting, walking, stair climbing and use of wheelchair. Despite his age and lack of family support, signicant functional improvements were documented in this elderly stroke patient, and he was discharged to old age home. CONCLUSION- Supplementing enabling activities with task oriented functional training is feasible and effective in improving independence for activity of daily living in elderly stroke

The Effects of Ramadan Fasting on Heart Transplant Recipients

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bandar Al-Ghamdi
Keyword(s):  
Heart Transplant ◽  
Tertiary Care ◽  
Case Report Form ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Transplant Recipients ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Standard Case ◽  
Ramadan Fasting ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Heart Transplant Recipients

Background: Fasting during Ramadan is considered one of the most sacred Islamic rituals. To our knowledge, there is no data about Ramadan fasting in heart transplant recipients. Objectives: To assess the ability of heart transplant recipients to fast the month of Ramadan and to study the fasting effects on their clinical condition Design: A cross-sectional study of heart transplant recipients attending the heart transplant clinic in the three months following Ramadan in 1439 and 1440 Hijri (May-June 2018 and 2019). Setting: Heart transplant clinic in a tertiary care hospital in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Heart transplant recipients attending the heart transplant clinic in the Heart Center at King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Center (KFSH&RC), Riyadh. Data about Ramadan fasting was documented using standard case report form (CRF), and data were collected from the medical records about their clinical and laboratory findings before and after Ramadan. Main Outcome Measures: Ability of heart transplant receipts to fast during Ramadan and the effect of fasting on their medical condition. Sample Size: One hundred twenty heart transplant recipients were approached to participate in this study. Ninety-two patients agreed to participate in the study with seventy-eight patients fasted during Ramadan. Results: Seventy-eight patients were able to fast Ramadan (84.8%). In comparison to the months before and after Ramadan, 44 of the fasting patients (56.4%) reported no change in their overall health, 29 patients (37.2%) reported feeling better, and 5 patients (6.4%) reported feeling worse during fasting. Sixty patients (76.9%) reported no significant new symptoms, and 18 patients (23.08%) reported one or more new symptoms. Conclusions: It seems that the majority of heart transplant recipients beyond one year of transplantation can fast Ramadan without having significant medical issues Limitations: The small number of participants and the limitations of cross-sectional design.

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