scholarly journals 786. Diagnostic stewardship of C difficile PCR testing with two step algorithm- A rural community hospital experience

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S437-S438
Author(s):  
Raghavendra Tirupathi ◽  
Ruth Freshman ◽  
Norma Montoy ◽  
Melissa Gross
Keyword(s):  
Phase 1 ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
Step Test ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Risk Adjustment Model ◽  
Step Algorithm ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Test Ordering

Abstract Background An estimated 15% of hospitalized patients are asymptomatic carriers of C. diff. Inappropriate testing can lead to over diagnosis, treatment, isolation & substantial financial penalties. Ours is a rural 310 bed hospital with nurse driven C. diff test ordering protocol. Due to inadvertent test ordering, we had an uptick in the HO-CDI incidence with rates as high as 0.94 per 1000 patient days in 2017. In order to streamline testing, we initiated an infection preventionist(IP) led diagnostic stewardship program which was implemented in two phases in 2017-2019 Methods The phase 1 involved daily review by IPs regarding the legitimacy of PCR order for minimum 3 loose stools in 24 hours, use of laxatives, presence of symptoms.There were concerns nationally that then CDI risk adjustment model from NHSN in 2017 does not optimally account for the impact of specific CDI testing methods used by individual hospitals on CDI SIRs. Hence, in Jan 2018 NHSN’s MDRO/CDI Protocol stated “Results of the final test that are placed in the patient’s medical record should be used to determine whether event meets the CDI LabID defn”.This led to phase 2 in mar 2019 which involved two step testing which started with C diff PCR assay with positive test reflexed to the toxin A/B assay. Results During the first phase, and a full year of the protocol in 2018, the number of completed PCR tests decreased to 626 (compared to 940 PCR tests in 2016) with an 34% decrease. In the year following implementation of the Diagnostic Stewardship, HO CDI decreased from 60 in 2017 to 43 events in 2018 with a reduction of 28%. Subsequently, HO CDI further decreased in 2019 to 28 with a reduction of 35%. Since the start of the project in 2017, HO CDI have decreased 54% in total. The reduction in 314 C diff PCR tests in the first year[2017-2018] led to a savings of $8300 in lab supplies. No readmissions with C difficile infection documented within 30 days on patients who did not meet the criterion for testing. Significant decrease in the usage of C difficile antibiotics. After the start of the two step test, we have seen a precipitous drop in our HO-CDI rates to less than 0.3 per 1000 pt days by the end of 2019. Quarterly comparison of HO CDI incidence for 2017-2020 HO CDI incidence before and following phase 1 and phase 2 interventions C. difficile antibiotic use trends during intervention period Conclusion IP run diagnostic stewardship programs with two step tests are highly successful in streamlining testing and in discriminating infection from colonization Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals 63. Impact of Infectious Disease Fellow-Driven Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Inpatient Fluoroquinolone Use

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S150-S150
Author(s):  
Carlos M Nunez ◽  
Arun Mattappallil ◽  
Katie A McCrink ◽  
Debbie Rybak ◽  
Basil Taha ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Infectious Disease ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Positive Impact ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Clinical Indication ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Intervention Phase ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Fluoroquinolone (FQ) antibiotics are frequently used in hospitalized patients to treat a wide range of infections but are often misused and implicated in antibiotic-associated adverse events. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of Infectious Disease fellow (IDF)-driven antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) interventions on inpatient FQ use. Methods This is a retrospective study of all admitted patients who received a FQ for greater than 48 hours from 01/01/2019 -12/31/2020 in an urban academic center. “Phase 1” (pre-intervention phase) covered 01/1/2019- 03/31/2019. “Phase 2” (intervention phase) covered 03/03/2020- 12/23/2020. In “Phase 2”, our ASP reviewed FQ use 2-3 days per week and an IDF provided feedback interventions that averaged 30-60 minutes of IDF time spent per day. We categorized FQ use as either: “appropriate”, “appropriate but not preferred”, or “inappropriate”, as determined by local clinical guidelines and ASP team opinion. We compared FQ use in both phases, indications for FQ use, and new Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). Results A total of 386 patients are included (76 in “Phase 1”and 310 in “Phase 2”). Patient characteristics are similar (Table 1). Overall, 63 % of FQ use was empiric, and 50% FQ use was deemed “appropriate”, 28% “appropriate but not preferred”, and 22% “inappropriate”. In “Phase 2”, 126 interventions were conducted, with 86% of these accepted. Appropriate FQ use increased significantly in “Phase 2” vs. “Phase 1” (53.5% vs 35.5%, p = 0.008), with decrease in mean days of FQ use (4.38 days vs 5.87 days, p =.021). Table 2 shows “appropriate” FQ use by clinical indication. New CDIs occurred more in “Phase 1” vs. “Phase 2” (6.6% vs 0.6%, p=.001). Conclusion An IDF-driven ASP intervention has a positive impact on appropriate inpatient use of FQs in our hospital. This highlights a promising ASP model which not only improves appropriate use of FQ, but also offers an opportunity for IDF mentorship and use of available resources to promote ASPs. Disclosures Katie A. McCrink, PharmD, ViiV Healthcare (Employee)

scholarly journals Eight-Year Experience of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and the Trend of Carbapenem Use at a Tertiary Acute-Care Hospital in Japan—The Impact of Postprescription Review and Feedback

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsubasa Akazawa ◽  
Yoshiki Kusama ◽  
Haruhisa Fukuda ◽  
Kayoko Hayakawa ◽  
Satoshi Kutsuna ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Cost Savings ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Phase 3 ◽  
Car Use ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Objective We implemented a stepwise antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). This study evaluated the effect of each intervention and the overall economic impact on carbapenem (CAR) use. Method Carbapenem days of therapy (CAR-DOT) were calculated to assess the effect of each intervention, and antipseudomonal DOT were calculated to assess changes in use of broad-spectrum antibiotics. We carried out segmented regression analysis of studies with interrupted time series for 3 periods: Phase 1 (infectious disease [ID] consultation service only), Phase 2 (adding monitoring and e-mail feedback), and Phase 3 (adding postprescription review and feedback [PPRF] led by ID specialist doctors and pharmacists). We also estimated cost savings over the study period due to decreased CAR use. Results The median monthly CAR-DOT, per month per 100 patient-days, during Phase 1, Phase 2, and Phase 3 was 5.46, 3.69, and 2.78, respectively. The CAR-DOT decreased significantly immediately after the start of Phase 2, but a major decrease was not observed during this period. Although the immediate change was not apparent after Phase 3 started, CAR-DOT decreased significantly over this period. Furthermore, the monthly DOT of 3 alternative antipseudomonal agents also decreased significantly over the study period, but the incidence of antimicrobial resistance did not decrease. Cost savings over the study period, due to decreased CAR use, was estimated to be US $150 000. Conclusions Adding PPRF on the conventional ASP may accelerate antimicrobial stewardship. Our CAR stewardship program has had positive results, and implementation is ongoing.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Levels of Adherence to the Completion of Nursing Records for Inpatients in Isolation

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (21) ◽  
pp. 11262
Author(s):  
Mercedes Fernández-Castro ◽  
José-María Jiménez ◽  
Belén Martín-Gil ◽  
María-Fé Muñoz-Moreno ◽  
María-José Castro ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Vulnerability ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Hospitalised Patients ◽  
Scale Scores ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Clinical Records ◽  
The Impact

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to an increased workload for nurses and organisational and structural changes, which have been necessary to meet the needs of inpatients in isolation. Aim: To describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on levels of adherence to the completion of nursing records that document the risk of developing pressure ulcers, falling, and social vulnerability among hospitalised patients in isolation. Methods: Observational pre-post comparison study. Comparison between nursing records (the Braden, Downton, and Gijón scales) belonging to 1205 inpatients took place in two phases. Phase 1: 568 patients admitted in February 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, vs. phase 2: 637 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in March–April 2020, during the peak of the first wave of the pandemic. This research adheres to the STROBE guidelines for the reporting of observational studies. Results: The degree of completion of the Braden, Downton, and Gijón scales decreased significantly in phase 2 vs. phase 1 (p < 0.001). The mean Downton and Gijón scale scores for patients admitted in phase 1 were higher compared to those of patients admitted in phase 2 (p < 0.001). The mean Braden scale score in phase 2 was higher than in phase 1 (p < 0.05). Conclusion: During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a decrease in the completion of nursing records in the clinical records of patients in isolation. The levels of risk of developing PUs, falling, and social vulnerability of patients admitted to hospital were lower during the first wave of the pandemic.

Risk reduction in a cancer chemotherapy production unit: Contribution of an automated drug dispensing system

2020 ◽  
pp. 107815522094106
Author(s):  
Jean-Marie Ouedraogo ◽  
Soumaya El Baraka ◽  
Casimir Adade Adade ◽  
Joseph Sitsopeh ◽  
Abou Sessouma ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Production Process ◽  
Cancer Chemotherapy ◽  
Failure Modes ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Production Unit ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Risk Minimization ◽  
Drug Dispensing ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Impact

Objective The purpose of our study was to evaluate the contribution of an automated drug dispensing system in securing cancer chemotherapy production process at the pharmacy of the National Institute of Oncology in Rabat. Methods The failure modes and effects analysis method was applied to the chemotherapy production process in two phases: Phase 1, using an open shelf for storage then phase 2, using an automated drug dispensing system. The failure modes were defined and their criticality indexes was calculated on the basis of the likelihood of occurrence, the potential severity for the patients and/or the impact on the process and the detection probability. The criticality indexes of the two phases were prioritized and compared. Results We identified 35 failure modes for phase 1 and 37 for phase 2. The sum of criticality indexes was 5957 and 4586, respectively, for phase 1 and phase 2, corresponding to a criticality reduction of −23%. The greatest improvements concerned that the needed drug is missing during the picking, storage of potential expired drugs, and double compounding. Conclusion Our study highlighted the contribution of automated drug dispensing system in risk minimization. The use of automated drug dispensing system is a part of security improvement in chemotherapy production unit.

Abstract T P4: Impact of Extended IV rt-PA Time Window and Immediate Endovascular Therapy on the Outcome in Patients with Major Artery Occlusion

Stroke ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 45 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hiroshi Yamagami ◽  
Mikito Hayakawa ◽  
Masatoshi Koga ◽  
Shoichiro Sato ◽  
Tomoyuki Ohara ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Time Window ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Reperfusion Therapy ◽  
Artery Occlusion ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Total Period ◽  
Nihss Score ◽  
Poor Outcome ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
The Impact

Background and Purpose: In Japan, indication of intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) therapy for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) has been extended to 4.5 hours after the onset from Aug, 2012. Additionally, we have modified our institutional strategy of endovascular treatment (EVT) to start immediately after IV rt-PA in patients with occlusions of internal carotid artery (ICA), proximal portion of middle cerebral artery (MCA), or basilar artery (BA) from Oct, 2012. This study aimed to clarify the impact of these changes on the outcome in patients with major artery occlusion. Methods: We investigated the AIS patients with ICA, MCA or BA occlusion admitted to our hospital within 24 hours after the onset. They were divided into two phases according to admission date: phase 1 (Oct, 2011 to Sept, 2012) or phase 2 (Oct, 2012 to Apr, 2013). Backgrounds, treatments, and outcomes were compared between two phases. Favorable outcomes were defined as modified Rankin Scale (mRS) ≦2 or equal to premorbid mRS, and poor outcome as mRS 5 or 6 at 90 days after the onset. Results: Among 248 patients (130 men, 76.1±12.4 years old, National Institute of Health Stroke Scale [NIHSS] score on admission: median 18 [IQR 11-24]), 152 patients were admitted in phase 1 and 96 in phase 2. Age, sex, onset to admission time, stroke subtype, and sites of occluded arteries were similar in two phases, while NIHSS score on admission was higher in phase 1 than 2 (median 19 vs 17, P=0.046). Compared to phase 1, IV rt-PA (36.8 vs 44.8%), EVT (12.5 vs 26.0%), and either reperfusion therapy (42.8 vs 54.2%) were more frequently performed, and door to IV rt-PA time (71 vs 61min.) and door to EVT time (148 vs 127min.) were shorter in phase 2. The rate of favorable outcome significantly increased (27.0 vs 40.6%, P=0.027) and that of poor outcome decreased (44.1 vs 30.2%, P=0.033) in phase 2. With multivariate analysis in total period, reperfusion therapy was associated to favorable outcomes (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.05-4.80) and inversely associated with poor outcome (OR 0.29, 95%CI 0.13-0.64). Conclusions: Increased frequency of reperfusion therapy by extended IV rt-PA time window and rapid EVT may contribute to the improvement of outcome in AIS patients with major artery occlusion.

scholarly journals Infection Preventionist Run Clostridioides difficile Testing Diagnostic Stewardship Protocol- Experience From a Rural Community Hospital

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (S1) ◽  
pp. s484-s485
Author(s):  
Raghavendra Tirupathi ◽  
Ruth Freshman ◽  
Norma J Montoy ◽  
Melissa Gross
Keyword(s):  
Cost Savings ◽  
Antibiotic Use ◽  
First Year ◽  
Multiple Parameters ◽  
Clostridioides Difficile ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Commercial Company ◽  
Surgical History ◽  
Test Ordering ◽  
Infection Preventionists

Background: Distinguishing active Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) from asymptomatic colonization remains a challenging task in the era of PCR testing. Inappropriate testing leads to overtesting and overdiagnosis, inadvertent treatment, and isolation in addition to laboratory identified (LabID) events, leading to increased incidence to hospital-onset CDI (HO-CDI). The institution has a nurse-driven C. difficile test ordering protocol, and we noted a significant increase in the HO-CDI incidence in 2017 due to inappropriate testing, with rates as high as 0.94 per 1,000 patient days. Methods: In September 2017, a multidisciplinary team reviewed and initiated algorithm-based testing with mandatory audit and review by infection preventionists (IPs) under the guidance of an ID physician of all ordered tests. They reviewed the adequacy and legitimacy of order for multiple parameters, including minimum 3 loose stools in 24 hours, use of laxatives in last 24 hours, consistency of the sample, presence of at least 1 clinical parameters (ie, fever, abdominal pain, leukocytosis, sepsis, or septic shock), recent or concomitant antibiotic use, recent PCR testing in the last 14 days, and chart review for medical and/or surgical history. The IPs served as the gatekeepers to testing and rejected the samples that were deemed inappropriate. Ambiguous cases were discussed with the ID specialist. On the microscope lab side, all specimens sent were batched to be run twice a day at 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., and testing was performed only on the samples cleared by infection preventionists. Results: The number of PCR tests completed in the comparison quarter of 2016 was 220, which decreased to 157 tests in 2017 with a reduction of 28%. After a full year of implementation of the diagnostic stewardship protocol, the number of completed PCR tests decreased to 626 from 940 PCR tests in 2016, with an overall 34% decrease in testing. In the year following the implementation of diagnostic stewardship, HO-CDI decreased from 60 events in 2017 to 43 events in 2018, with a reduction of 28%. Subsequently, HO-CDI further decreased in 2019 from 43 to 28, with a reduction of 35%. Since the implementation of the project in 2017, HO-CDIs have decreased by 54% overall. The reduction in 314 C. difficile PCR tests in the first year led to a savings of $8,300 in laboratory testing supplies. The reduction of HO CDI by 17 led to cost avoidance of $293,420. Conclusions: Our experience shows that the IP-run diagnostic stewardship program was highly successful in streamlining testing, with cost savings on several fronts.Funding: NoneDisclosures: NoneDisclosures:Commercial Company : If I am presenting research funded by a commercial company, the information presented will be based on generally accepted scientific principals and methods, and will not promote the commercial interest of the funding company.DisagreeRaghavendra Tirupathi

Differential impact of on-site or telepharmacy in the intensive care unit: a controlled before–after study

2021 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joao Gabriel Rosa Ramos ◽  
Sandra Cristina Hernandes ◽  
Talita Teles Teixeira Pereira ◽  
Shana Oliveira ◽  
Denis de Melo Soares ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intensive Care Unit ◽  
Intensive Care ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Differential Impact ◽  
Scarce Resources ◽  
Clinical Pharmacists ◽  
Versus Phase ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background Clinical pharmacists have an important role in the intensive care unit (ICU) team but are scarce resources. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of on-site pharmacists on medical prescriptions in the ICU. Methods This is a retrospective, quasi-experimental, controlled before-after study in two ICUs. Interventions by pharmacists were evaluated in phase 1 (February to November 2016) and phase 2 (February to May 2017) in ICU A (intervention) and ICU B (control). In phase 1, both ICUs had a telepharmacy service in which medical prescriptions were evaluated and interventions were made remotely. In phase 2, an on-site pharmacist was implemented in ICU A, but not in ICU B. We compared the number of interventions that were accepted in phase 1 versus phase 2. Results During the study period, 8797/9603 (91.6%) prescriptions were evaluated, and 935 (10.6%) needed intervention. In phase 2, there was an increase in the proportion of interventions that were accepted by the physician in comparison to phase 1 (93.9% versus 76.8%, P &lt; 0.001) in ICU A, but there was no change in ICU B (75.2% versus 73.9%, P = 0.845). Conclusion An on-site pharmacist in the ICU was associated with an increase in the proportion of interventions that were accepted by physicians.

Psychiatry Transcript Annotation: Process Study and Improvements

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-75
Author(s):  
Srinivasan Sridhar ◽  
Nazmul Kazi ◽  
Indika Kahanda ◽  
Bernadette McCrory
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Work Experience ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Kappa Statistics ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Rater Reliability ◽  
Standard Data ◽  
Annotation Process ◽  
Data Collection Process ◽  
Two Phases

Background: The demand for psychiatry is increasing each year. Limited research has been performed to improve psychiatrist work experience and reduce daily workload using computational methods. There is currently no validated tool or procedure for the mental health transcript annotation process for generating “gold-standard” data. The purpose of this paper was to determine the annotation process for mental health transcripts and how it can be improved to acquire more reliable results considering human factors elements. Method: Three expert clinicians were recruited in this study to evaluate the transcripts. The clinicians were asked to fully annotate two transcripts. An additional five subjects were recruited randomly (aged between 20-40) for this pilot study, which was divided into two phases, phase 1 (annotation without training) and phase 2 (annotation with training) of five transcripts. Kappa statistics were used to measure the inter-rater reliability and accuracy between subjects. Results: The inter-rater reliability between expert clinicians for two transcripts were 0.26 (CI 0.19 to 0.33) and 0.49 (CI 0.42 to 0.57), respectively. In the pilot testing phases, the mean inter-rater reliability between subjects was higher in phase 2 with training transcript (k= 0.35 (CI 0.052 to 0.625)) than in phase 1 without training transcript (k= 0.29 (CI 0.128 to 0.451)). After training, the accuracy percentage among subjects was significantly higher in transcript A (p=0.04) than transcript B (p=0.10). Conclusion: This study focused on understanding the annotation process for mental health transcripts, which will be applied in training machine learning models. Through this exploratory study, the research found appropriate categorical labels that should be included for transcripts annotation, and the importance of training the subjects. Contributions of this case study will help the psychiatric clinicians and researchers in implementing the recommended data collection process to develop a more accurate artificial intelligence model for fully- or semi-automated transcript annotation.

scholarly journals Cumulative Effect of an Antimicrobial Stewardship and Rapid Diagnostic Testing Bundle on Early Streamlining of Antimicrobial Therapy in Gram-Negative Bloodstream Infections

2017 ◽  
Vol 61 (9) ◽  
Author(s):  
P. B. Bookstaver ◽  
E. B. Nimmich ◽  
T. J. Smith ◽  
J. A. Justo ◽  
J. Kohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship Program ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Beta Lactams ◽  
Gram Negative ◽  
Stewardship Program ◽  
Tof Ms

ABSTRACT The use of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) enhances antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) interventions in optimization of antimicrobial therapy. This quasi-experimental cohort study evaluated the combined impact of an ASP/RDT bundle on the appropriateness of empirical antimicrobial therapy (EAT) and time to de-escalation of broad-spectrum antimicrobial agents (BSAA) in Gram-negative bloodstream infections (GNBSI). The ASP/RDT bundle consisted of system-wide GNBSI treatment guidelines, prospective stewardship monitoring, and sequential introduction of two RDTs, matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) and the FilmArray blood culture identification (BCID) panel. The preintervention period was January 2010 through December 2013, and the postintervention period followed from January 2014 through June 2015. The postintervention period was conducted in two phases; phase 1 followed the introduction of MALDI-TOF MS, and phase 2 followed the introduction of the FilmArray BCID panel. The interventions resulted in significantly improved appropriateness of EAT (95% versus 91%; P = 0.02). Significant reductions in median time to de-escalation from combination antimicrobial therapy (2.8 versus 1.5 days), antipseudomonal beta-lactams (4.0 versus 2.5 days), and carbapenems (4.0 versus 2.5 days) were observed in the postintervention compared to the preintervention period (P < 0.001 for all). The reduction in median time to de-escalation from combination therapy (1.0 versus 2.0 days; P = 0.03) and antipseudomonal beta-lactams (2.2 versus 2.7 days; P = 0.04) was further augmented during phase 2 compared to phase 1 of the postintervention period. Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program and RDT intervention bundle in a multihospital health care system is associated with improved appropriateness of EAT for GNBSI and decreased utilization of BSAA through early de-escalation.

scholarly journals Removal of organic matter from pre-treated domestic sewage in anaerobic biological reactor by a combined system of electrolytic and biological aerobic treatment

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Ariela Araujo Fonseca ◽  
Yovanka Pérez Ginoris ◽  
Norma Mendes Pinheiro Gontijo ◽  
Marco Antonio Almeida de Souza
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Electric Current ◽  
Phase 1 ◽  
Zooplankton Community ◽  
Batch Reactors ◽  
Phase 2 ◽  
Combined System ◽  
Organic Matter Removal ◽  
Electrolytic Process ◽  
Two Phases

Biological processes are the most widespread methods for wastewater treatment. However, they are limited in their ability to degrade toxic and refractory pollutants, contaminants that electrochemical processes can remove. Therefore, this research explored the possibility of treating sewage by an anaerobic biological process followed by an aerobic system integrated to an electrolytic process. Three sequential batch reactors were operated in an automated way. Each of three reactors represented a process: aerobic biological treatment (BR); electrolytic treatment (ER); and a combination of both, the bio electrolytic reactor (BER). Two phases were ran with different electrodes: (Phase 1) stainless steel and (Phase 2) graphite. The electric current was varied from 0.001 to 0.100 A. COD, TS, SS, turbidity, and the zooplankton community were monitored. The highest organic matter removal efficiencies were 86%, 79% and 87% for BR, ER and BER, respectively. The best weekly BER efficiencies for COD removal were 90% and 98%, with current densities of 0.27 A/m2 (Phase 1) and 0.05 A/m2 (Phase 2). The main conclusions about bio electrolytic process were: (1) it did not achieve organic matter removal high enough to justify its application; (2) inert electrodes are the more indicated; and (3) the zooplankton community was affected by the electric current.

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