scholarly journals 138. Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Order Set in the Emergency Department at a Quaternary Care Facility

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S182-S182
Author(s):  
Salma M . Al Shaqfa ◽  
Rania M El Lababidi ◽  
Wasim S El Nekidy ◽  
Mohamed Hisham ◽  
Rama Nasef ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Care Facility ◽  
Primary Study ◽  
Inpatient Setting ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Order Set

Abstract Background Implementation of antimicrobial stewardship (AS) interventions in the emergency department (ED) has been associated with improved patient outcomes. One potentially promising AS strategy is the implementation of an ED-specific, evidence-based antimicrobial order set. In this study, we aimed to examine the impact of implementing an ED-specific order set (EDOS) on the appropriateness of empiric antimicrobial therapy. Methods We conducted a pre-post quasi experimental study on 160 adult patients presenting to the ED with suspected or confirmed common infections at our quaternary healthcare facility. The EDOS was implemented in December 2020, providing evidence-based recommendations for the management of common infectious diseases. Data was collected between September 2019 and March 2020 for the pre-EDOS implementation group and between January 2021 and April 2021 for the post-EDOS implementation group. Pregnant women and patients with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 infection were excluded. Data were analyzed using two-sample T-test and mixed effects logistic regression. The primary study outcome was the appropriateness of antimicrobials selected, and the secondary outcomes were clinical and microbiologic cure, length of hospital stay, Clostridioides difficile infection, and the number of changes in antimicrobial therapy on transition to inpatient setting. Results A total of 100 ED patients pre-EDOS implementation and 60 patients post-EDOS implementation were compared. At baseline, patients in the post-EDOS group were older (59.83±20.30 years vs. 50.17±19.97 years, P=0.0037). A higher number of patients in the post-EDOS group had a history of multiple comorbidities (76.67% vs. 54%, P=0.0039). There was a higher rate of appropriate antimicrobial use in the post-EDOS group as compared to the pre-EDOS group (88.3% vs. 50%, P< 0.001). Longer hospital stays were observed in the post-EDOS group (P=0.0005). Clinical cure was similar between the two groups (96.6% vs. 94%, P=0.4568). Conclusion In our study, we observed higher rates of appropriate antimicrobial selection after implementation of an EDOS. Use of an EDOS may represent a valuable AS intervention to guide appropriate antimicrobial prescribing in the ED, and larger studies are needed to confirm those findings. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Evaluation of Antibiotic Utilization in an Emergency Department After Implementation of an Antimicrobial Stewardship Pharmacist Culture Review Service

2019 ◽  
Vol 55 (4) ◽  
pp. 261-267
Author(s):  
Megan E. Giruzzi ◽  
John C. Tawwater ◽  
Jennifer L. Grelle
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Median Time ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Hospital Readmissions ◽  
Positive Culture ◽  
Inadequate Antibiotic Therapy ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Appropriate Therapy ◽  
The Impact

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) have been widely implemented in hospitals to improve antimicrobial use and prevent resistance. However, the role of ASP in the emergency department (ED) setting is not well defined. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of an ASP pharmacist culture review service in an ED. Methods: This was a retrospective, quasi-experimental study of all patients discharged from the ED with a positive culture. Patients discharged from the ED from February 1, 2015 to October 31, 2015 were managed by ED providers (pre-ASP), and those discharged from February 1, 2016 to October 31, 2016 were managed by a pharmacist-driven ASP (post-ASP implementation). The primary outcome was median time to change of antibiotic(s) in patients with inadequate antimicrobial therapy based on culture results. Secondary outcomes included time to culture evaluation, appropriateness of antimicrobials, and 30-day readmissions. Results: A total of 790 patients were included in the analysis (398 in pre-ASP group vs 392 in post-ASP implementation group). Median time to modification of inadequate antibiotic therapy decreased from 6.79 days in the pre-ASP group to 1.99 days in the post-ASP implementation group ( P < .0001). Median time to culture review decreased in the post-ASP implementation group from 9.83 to 0.32 days ( P < .0001). Appropriateness of culture-guided therapy increased in the post-ASP implementation group from 85.7 to 91.8% ( P = .047). The rate of combined ED revisits and hospital readmissions was similar between groups ( P = .367). Conclusion: ASP pharmacist evaluation of positive cultures in the ED was associated with a significant decrease in the time to appropriate therapy in patients discharged with inadequate therapy and higher rates of appropriate antimicrobial therapy.

scholarly journals Applying quality improvement principles to improve accident and emergency department overcrowding and flow in Rwanda: a case study

2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (5) ◽  
pp. 47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean Claude Byiringiro ◽  
Rex Wong ◽  
Caroline Davis ◽  
Jeffery Williams ◽  
Joseph Becker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Post Intervention ◽  
Triage System ◽  
Accident And Emergency ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Accident And Emergency Department ◽  
The Impact

Few case studies exist related to hospital accident and emergency department (A&E) quality improvement efforts in lowerresourced settings. We sought to report the impact of quality improvement principles applied to A&E overcrowding and flow in the largest referral and teaching hospital in Rwanda. A pre- and post-intervention study was conducted. A linked set of strategies included reallocating room space based on patient/visitor demand and flow, redirecting traffic, establishing a patient triage system and installing white boards to facilitate communication. Two months post-implementation, the average number of patients boarding in the A&E hallways significantly decreased from 28 (pre-intervention) to zero (post-intervention), p < .001. Foot traffic per dayshift hour significantly decreased from 221 people to 160 people (28%, p < .001), and non-A&E related foot traffic decreased from 81.4% to 36.3% (45% decrease, p < .001). One hundred percent of the A&E patients have been formally triaged since the implementation of the newly established triage system. Our project used quality improvement principles to reduce the number of patients boarding in the hallways and to decrease unnecessary foot traffic in the A&E department with little investment from the hospital. Key success factors included a collaborative multidisciplinary project team, strong internal champions, data-driven analysis, evidence-based interventions, senior leadership support, and rapid application of initial implementation learnings. Results to date show the application of quality improvement principles can help hospitals in resource-limited settings improve quality of care at relatively low cost.

Use of a Structured Panel Process to Define Quality Metrics for Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs

2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 500-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew M. Morris ◽  
Stacey Brener ◽  
Linda Dresser ◽  
Nick Daneman ◽  
Timothy H. Dellit ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Bloodstream Infections ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Acquired Pneumonia ◽  
Public Reporting ◽  
Modified Delphi ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Days Of Therapy ◽  
The Impact

Introduction.Antimicrobial stewardship programs are being implemented in health care to reduce inappropriate antimicrobial use, adverse events, Clostridium difficile infection, and antimicrobial resistance. There is no standardized approach to evaluate the impact of these programs.Objective.To use a structured panel process to define quality improvement metrics for evaluating antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospital settings that also have the potential to be used as part of public reporting efforts.Design.A multiphase modified Delphi technique.Setting.Paper-based survey supplemented with a 1-day consensus meeting.Participants.A 10-member expert panel from Canada and the United States was assembled to evaluate indicators for relevance, effectiveness, and the potential to aid quality improvement efforts.Results.There were a total of 5 final metrics selected by the panel: (1) days of therapy per 1000 patient-days; (2) number of patients with specific organisms that are drug resistant; (3) mortality related to antimicrobial-resistant organisms; (4) conservable days of therapy among patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), skin and soft-tissue infections (SSTI), or sepsis and bloodstream infections (BSI); and (5) unplanned hospital readmission within 30 days after discharge from the hospital in which the most responsible diagnosis was one of CAP, SSTI, sepsis or BSI. The first and second indicators were also identified as useful for accountability purposes, such as public reporting.Conclusion.We have successfully identified 2 measures for public reporting purposes and 5 measures that can be used internally in healthcare settings as quality indicators. These indicators can be implemented across diverse healthcare systems to enable ongoing evaluation of antimicrobial stewardship programs and complement efforts for improved patient safety.

scholarly journals 845. Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Routine HIV Screening in an Emergency Department

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S513-S513
Author(s):  
Elizabeth A Aguilera ◽  
Gilhen Rodriguez ◽  
Gabriela P Del Bianco ◽  
Gloria Heresi ◽  
James Murphy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Screening Program ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Hiv Infections ◽  
Hiv Screening ◽  
Opt Out ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Confirmatory Tests ◽  
Routine Hiv Screening ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The Emergency Department (ED) at Memorial Hermann Hospital (MHH) - Texas Medical Center (TMC), Houston, Texas has a long established screening program targeted at detection of HIV infections. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on this screening program is unknown. Methods The Routine HIV screening program includes opt-out testing of all adults 18 years and older with Glasgow score &gt; 9. HIV 4th generation Ag/Ab screening, with reflex to Gennius confirmatory tests are used. Pre-pandemic (March 2019 to February 2020) to Pandemic period (March 2020 to February 2021) intervals were compared. Results 72,929 patients visited MHH_ED during the pre-pandemic period and 57,128 in the pandemic period, a 22% decline. The number of patients tested for HIV pre-pandemic was 9433 and 6718 pandemic, a 29% decline. When the pandemic year was parsed into first and last 6 months interval and compared to similar intervals in the year pre pandemic, 39% followed by 16% declines in HIV testing were found. In total, 354 patients were HIV positives, 209, (59%) in the pre-pandemic and 145 (41%) in the pandemic period.The reduction in new HIV infections found was directly proportional to the decline in patients visiting the MHH-ED where the percent of patients HIV positive was constant across intervals (2.21% vs 2.26%). Demographic and outcome characteristics were constant across the compared intervals. Conclusion The COVID -19 pandemic reduced detection of new HIV infections by screening in direct proportion to the reduction in MHH-ED patient visits. The impact of COVID-19 pandemic decreased with duration of the pandemic. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

scholarly journals Evaluating alcohol intoxication management services: the EDARA mixed-methods study

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (24) ◽  
pp. 1-214 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon C Moore ◽  
Davina Allen ◽  
Yvette Amos ◽  
Joanne Blake ◽  
Alan Brennan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Emergency Departments ◽  
Alcohol Intoxication ◽  
Ethnographic Study ◽  
Acute Alcohol Intoxication ◽  
Front Line ◽  
Night Time ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Management Services

Background Front-line health-care services are under increased demand when acute alcohol intoxication is most common, which is in night-time environments. Cities have implemented alcohol intoxication management services to divert the intoxicated away from emergency care. Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and acceptability to patients and staff of alcohol intoxication management services and undertake an ethnographic study capturing front-line staff’s views on the impact of acute alcohol intoxication on their professional lives. Methods This was a controlled mixed-methods longitudinal observational study with an ethnographic evaluation in parallel. Six cities with alcohol intoxication management services were compared with six matched control cities to determine effects on key performance indicators (e.g. number of patients in the emergency department and ambulance response times). Surveys captured the impact of alcohol intoxication management services on the quality of care for patients in six alcohol intoxication management services, six emergency departments with local alcohol intoxication management services and six emergency departments without local alcohol intoxication management services. The ethnographic study considered front-line staff perceptions in two cities with alcohol intoxication management services and one city without alcohol intoxication management services. Results Alcohol intoxication management services typically operated in cities in which the incidence of acute alcohol intoxication was greatest. The per-session average number of attendances across all alcohol intoxication management services was low (mean 7.3, average minimum 2.8, average maximum 11.8) compared with the average number of emergency department attendances per alcohol intoxication management services session (mean 78.8), and the number of patients diverted away from emergency departments, per session, required for services to be considered cost-neutral was 8.7, falling to 3.5 when ambulance costs were included. Alcohol intoxication management services varied, from volunteer-led first aid to more clinically focused nurse practitioner services, with only the latter providing evidence for diversion from emergency departments. Qualitative and ethnographic data indicated that alcohol intoxication management services are acceptable to practitioners and patients and that they address unmet need. There was evidence that alcohol intoxication management services improve ambulance response times and reduce emergency department attendance. Effects are uncertain owing to the variation in service delivery. Limitations The evaluation focused on health service outcomes, yet evidence arose suggesting that alcohol intoxication management services provide broader societal benefits. There was no nationally agreed standard operating procedure for alcohol intoxication management services, undermining the evaluation. Routine health data outcomes exhibited considerable variance, undermining opportunities to provide an accurate appraisal of the heterogenous collection of alcohol intoxication management services. Conclusions Alcohol intoxication management services are varied, multipartner endeavours and would benefit from agreed national standards. Alcohol intoxication management services are popular with and benefit front-line staff and serve as a hub facilitating partnership working. They are popular with alcohol intoxication management services patients and capture previously unmet need in night-time environments. However, acute alcohol intoxication in emergency departments remains an issue and opportunities for diversion have not been entirely realised. The nurse-led model was the most expensive service evaluated but was also the most likely to divert patients away from emergency departments, suggesting that greater clinical involvement and alignment with emergency departments is necessary. Alcohol intoxication management services should be regarded as fledgling services that require further work to realise benefit. Future work Research could be undertaken to determine if a standardised model of alcohol intoxication management services, based on the nurse practitioner model, can be developed and implemented in different settings. Future evaluations should go beyond the health service and consider outcomes more generally, especially for the police. Future work on the management of acute alcohol intoxication in night-time environments could recognise the partnership between health-care, police and ambulance services and third-sector organisations in managing acute alcohol intoxication. Trial registration Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN63096364. Funding This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Services and Delivery Research programme and will be published in full in Health Services and Delivery Research; Vol. 8, No. 24. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

scholarly journals 183. Optimization of an Outpatient Antimicrobial Stewardship Process for Patients Discharged from the Emergency Department at an Academic Medical Center

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S98-S98
Author(s):  
Hannah Kafisheh ◽  
Matthew Hinton ◽  
Amanda Binkley ◽  
Christo Cimino ◽  
Christopher Edwards
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Medical Center ◽  
Academic Medical Center ◽  
Positive Culture ◽  
Culture Result ◽  
Academic Medical ◽  
Positive Culture Result ◽  
Therapy Modification

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

scholarly journals 1059. Impact of a Syndrome-Based Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention on Anti-Pseudomonal β-Lactam Use, C. difficile Rates and Cost in an Urban Community Hospital

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S374-S375
Author(s):  
Alfredo J Mena Lora ◽  
Martin Cortez ◽  
Ella Li ◽  
Lawrence Sanchez ◽  
Rochelle Bello ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Community Hospital ◽  
Treatment Guidelines ◽  
Urban Community ◽  
Audit And Feedback ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Days Of Therapy ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Prospective Audit And Feedback ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The use of anti-Pseudomonal β-lactam (APBL) agents has significantly increased in the past decade, carrying higher costs and contributing to antimicrobial pressure. Antimicrobial stewardship (ASP) can promote evidence-based antimicrobial selection and mitigate excess APBL use. We implemented a comprehensive ASP with syndrome-based prospective audit and feedback (PAF) at an urban community hospital. The goal of this study is to assess the impact of syndrome-based PAF on APBL use, C. difficile rates and cost. Methods ASP with all CDC core elements was implemented at a 151-bed community hospital in October 2017. Syndrome-based guidelines and PAF was established and overseen via direct communication with an ID physician. Days of therapy (DOT), cost and C. difficile rates were assessed 12 months before and after ASP. DOT for APBL and non-APBL utilization was tabulated by unit and paired t-test performed. Results Most cases reviewed by PAF (51%) were represented in our syndrome-based treatment guidelines (Figure 1). Soft tissue (33%) and intra-abdominal (24%) infections were the most common syndromes. Change to guideline was the most common PAF intervention (62%) followed by de-escalation (30%). At 12 months, total DOT/1,000 increased (392.5 vs. 404) while the proportion of parenteral antimicrobials used decreased (71% vs. 65%). Antibiotic expenditures decreased by 23%, with a reduction in APBL of 20% and non-APBL of 10% (Table 1). Statistically significant reductions APBL use in non-ICU settings (P = 0.0139) and statistically significant increases in non-APBL in ICU settings occurred (P = 0.0001) (Figure 2 and 3). C difficile rates decreased from 21% (3.27 vs. 2.56). Conclusion Syndrome-based PAF was successfully implemented. A reduction in APBL use was seen in non-ICU settings, where evidence-based de-escalation may be more feasible. APBL use remained high in the ICU but was guideline consistent. A rise in non-APBL use also occurred. Certain critical illness syndromes warrant APBLs, but PAF may promote culture-directed and syndrome-specific treatments. ASP increased guideline-based therapy and contributed to decreased broad-spectrum antimicrobial use, antimicrobial expenditures and C difficile rates. Syndrome based PAF can be successfully implemented in community settings. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

scholarly journals Quick diagnostic unit integrated in an emergency department setting reduces medical admissions – an observational study

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dan Brun Petersen ◽  
Thomas Andersen Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Internal Medicine ◽  
Emergency Department ◽  
General Medicine ◽  
University Hospital ◽  
First Year ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Diagnostic Study ◽  
Diagnostic Unit ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
The Impact

Background: Hospitals in countries with public health systems have recently adopted organizational changes to improve efficiency and resource allocation, and reducing inappropriate hospitalizations has been established as an important goal, as well as avoiding or buffering overcrowding in Emergency Departments (EDs). Aims: Our goal was to describe the impact of a Quick Diagnostic Unit established on January 1, 2012, integrated in an ED setting in a Danish public university hospital following its function for the first year. Design: Observational, descriptive and comparative study. Methods: Our sample comprised the total number of patients being admitted and discharged from the Department of Internal Medicine in 2011 and 2012, with special focus on the General Medicine Ward. Results: Compared with 2011 the establishment of the Quick Diagnostic Unit integrated in the Emergency Department resulted in the admittance and discharge of fewer patients (40%; p < .0001) to the hospital’s General Medicine Ward and 11.6% (p < .0001) fewer patients in the whole Department of Internal Medicine. Conclusions: A Quick Diagnostic Unit integrated in an ED setting represents a useful and fast track model for the diagnostic study and treatment of patients with simple internal medicine ailments, and also serves as a buffer for overcrowding of the ED.

scholarly journals An interrupted time-series analysis of the impact of emergency department reconfiguration on regional emergency department trolley numbers in Ireland from 2005 to 2015

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e029261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brenda Lynch ◽  
John Browne ◽  
Claire Mary Buckley ◽  
Orla Healy ◽  
Paul Corcoran ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Emergency Department ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Time Series Analysis ◽  
Interrupted Time Series Analysis ◽  
Series Analysis ◽  
North East ◽  
The North ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
The Impact

ObjectivesTo understand the impact of emergency department (ED) reconfiguration on the number of patients waiting for hospital beds on trolleys in the remaining EDs in four geographical regions in Ireland using time-series analysis.SettingEDs in four Irish regions; the West, North-East, South and Mid-West from 2005 to 2015.ParticipantsAll patients counted as waiting on trolleys in an ED for a hospital bed in the study hospitals from 2005 to 2015.InterventionThe system intervention was the reconfiguration of ED services, as determined by the Department of Health and Health Service Executive. The timing of these interventions varied depending on the hospital and region in question.ResultsThree of the four regions studied experienced a significant change in ED trolley numbers in the 12-month post-ED reconfiguration. The trend ratio before and after the intervention for these regions was as follows: North-East incidence rate ratio (IRR) 2.85 (95% CI 2.04 to 3.99, p<0.001), South IRR 0.68 (95% CI 0.51 to 0.89, p=0.006) and the Mid-West IRR 0.03 (95% 1.03 to 2.03, p=0.03). Two of these regions, the South and the Mid-West, displayed a convergence between the observed and expected trolley numbers in the 12-month post-reconfiguration. The North-East showed a much steeper increase, one that extended beyond the 12-month period post-ED reconfiguration.ConclusionsFindings suggest that the impacts of ED reconfiguration on regional level ED trolley trends were either non-significant or caused a short-term shock which converged on the pre-reconfiguration trend over the following 12 months. However, the North-East is identified as an exception due to increased pressures in one regional hospital, which caused a change in trend beyond the 12-month post reconfiguration.

scholarly journals Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Antimicrobial Utilization in Asymptomatic Bacteriuria

2019 ◽  
pp. 001857871988891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Punit J. Shah ◽  
Chiamaka Ike ◽  
Meghan Thibeaux ◽  
Emilyn Rodriguez ◽  
Shermel-Edwards Maddox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Antimicrobial Stewardship ◽  
Antimicrobial Therapy ◽  
Asymptomatic Bacteriuria ◽  
Control Phase ◽  
Clinical Pharmacists ◽  
Antimicrobial Utilization ◽  
Positive Urine ◽  
Interdisciplinary Interventions ◽  
The Impact

Background: Antimicrobial therapy for asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) is often unnecessary and is a common reason for inappropriate antimicrobial use in hospitalized patients. Unnecessary ASB treatment leads to collateral damage such as resistance, and Clostridium difficile infections. This study evaluated the impact of interdisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship interventions on antimicrobial utilization in ASB. Methods: This was a quasi-experimental institutional review board (IRB)-approved study evaluating the impact of antimicrobial stewardship on antibiotic utilization for ASB in a pilot medical-surgical unit. The control phase was from August-October 2017 and the postintervention phase was from December-March 2018. In the control phase, electronic medical records of patients with positive urine cultures were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were classified as either having ASB or urinary tract infection (UTI) based on the absence or presence of UTI symptoms documented in the medical record. The intervention phase consisted of educational in-services to providers, nurses, and pharmacists. Clinical pharmacists for the pilot unit utilized an electronic real-time surveillance system to identify patients with positive urine cultures. With nurses’ collaboration, clinical pharmacists classified these patients as either having UTI or ASB. Stewardship interventions were made in real-time to discontinue antibiotics in patients with ASB. Results: There were 65 and 77 patients with bacteriuria in the pre- and postintervention phases. Among these, ASB was present in 29 (45%) and 27 (35%) patients, respectively. After excluding those receiving antibiotics for concurrent nonurinary indications, the combination of education with pharmacist and nursing interventions decreased unnecessary ASB treatment from 18 (62%) to 6 (22%) patients (relative risk: 0.36, 95% confidence interval: 0.16-0.72, P = .003). Conclusion: The findings of this study highlight the importance of interdisciplinary interventions in reducing unnecessary antimicrobial therapy for the treatment of ASB. With increasing antimicrobial resistance, healthcare institutions should evaluate the role of these interdisciplinary interventions to reduce unnecessary treatment for ASB.

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