Impact of Pharmacist Intervention in Response to Automated Molecular Diagnostic Tests of Blood Culture Results

2020 ◽  
pp. 089719002094336
Author(s):  
Lauren McCarthy ◽  
Peter Colley ◽  
Hoa L. Nguyen ◽  
Mezgebe Berhe

Background: Rapid molecular diagnostic tests can aid in deescalating antimicrobial therapy prior to final culture and susceptibility reports. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine whether a new workflow that incorporated pharmacist review of these results reduced time to change in antimicrobial therapy. Methods: This retrospective study analyzed pre- and post-implementation of pharmacist review of positive blood cultures analyzed by rapid diagnostics with clinical recommendations paged to providers. Patients 18 years of age or older initiated on empiric antibiotics were included. The primary outcome was the time to change to targeted antimicrobials. Other outcomes evaluated were rates of Clostridioides difficile (C difficile) infection, inpatient mortality, and intensive care unit and hospital lengths of stay. Results: A total of 199 patients were included, with 98 and 101 patients in the pre- and post-implementation groups, respectively. The median time to change to targeted antimicrobials was significantly reduced with pharmacist intervention from 18.35 to 8.43 hours ( P = 0.042). The groups had similar rates of C difficile infection (1% vs 0%, P = 0.492) and mortality (7.1% vs 5%, P = 0.564). The post-group also had significant reductions in antibiotic days of therapy (10.5 vs 9 days, P = 0.014) and intensive care unit length of stay (3.04 vs 1.44 days, P = 0.046). Median hospital length of stay was similar between the pre- and post-groups (8.5 vs 8 days, P = 0.106), respectively. Conclusion: Incorporating pharmacist review of rapid molecular results of blood cultures decreased time to change to targeted antimicrobials and reduced inpatient antibiotic days of therapy.

2021 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-50
Author(s):  
Mallory C. Cowart ◽  
Travis S. Heath ◽  
Andrakeia Shipman

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if administration of antibiotics within 1 hour of meeting sepsis criteria improved patient outcomes versus antibiotics administered greater than 1 hour after meeting sepsis criteria in pediatric patients. The Surviving Sepsis Campaign's international guidelines recommend appropriate antimicrobial therapy be administered within 1 hour of recognition of severe sepsis or septic shock. Data regarding outcomes in pediatric patients with sepsis regarding antibiotic timing are currently limited. METHODS This was a retrospective chart review of 69 pediatric patients admitted between July 1, 2013, and June 30, 2016, with a diagnosis of sepsis. RESULTS The primary outcome of in-hospital mortality was 7.1% in the within 1 hour group versus 14.6% in the greater than 1 hour group (p = 0.3399). Median hospital length of stay was significantly shorter in the within 1 hour group (15.4 versus 39.2 days, p = 0.0022). Median intensive care unit length of stay was also significantly shorter in the within 1 hour group (3.1 versus 33.6 days, p = 0.0191). There were no differences between groups for pediatric intensive care unit admission, end organ dysfunction, time to intubation, or time on the ventilator. CONCLUSIONS Pediatric patients who receive antimicrobial therapy within 1 hour of meeting sepsis criteria had improved hospital and intensive care unit length of stay. This study supports the Surviving Sepsis Guidelines recommendation to administer antibiotics within 1 hour in pediatric patients with sepsis or septic shock.


Author(s):  
Andrea Kirfel ◽  
Jan Menzenbach ◽  
Vera Guttenthaler ◽  
Johanna Feggeler ◽  
Andreas Mayr ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Postoperative delirium (POD) is a relevant and underdiagnosed complication after cardiac surgery that is associated with increased intensive care unit (ICU) and hospital length of stay (LOS). The aim of this subgroup study was to compare the frequency of tested POD versus the coded International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD) diagnosis of POD and to evaluate the influence of POD on LOS in ICU and hospital. Methods 254 elective cardiac surgery patients (mean age, 70.5 ± 6.4 years) at the University Hospital Bonn between September 2018 and October 2019 were evaluated. The endpoint tested POD was considered positive, if one of the tests Confusion Assessment Method for ICU (CAM-ICU) or Confusion Assessment Method (CAM), 4 'A's Test (4AT) or Delirium Observation Scale (DOS) was positive on one day. Results POD occurred in 127 patients (50.0%). LOS in ICU and hospital were significantly different based on presence (ICU 165.0 ± 362.7 h; Hospital 26.5 ± 26.1 days) or absence (ICU 64.5 ± 79.4 h; Hospital 14.6 ± 6.7 days) of POD (p < 0.001). The multiple linear regression showed POD as an independent predictor for a prolonged LOS in ICU (48%; 95%CI 31–67%) and in hospital (64%; 95%CI 27–110%) (p < 0.001). The frequency of POD in the study participants that was coded with the ICD F05.0 and F05.8 by hospital staff was considerably lower than tests revealed by the study personnel. Conclusion Approximately 50% of elderly patients who underwent cardiac surgery developed POD, which is associated with an increased ICU and hospital LOS. Furthermore, POD is highly underdiagnosed in clinical routine.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 (9) ◽  
pp. 849-854 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary K. Walters ◽  
Joseph Farhat ◽  
James Bischoff ◽  
Mary Foss ◽  
Cory Evans

Background: Rib fracture associated pain is difficult to control. There are no published studies that use ketamine as a therapeutic modality to reduce the amount of opioid to control rib fracture pain. Objective: To examine the analgesic effects of adjuvant ketamine on pain scale scores in trauma intensive care unit (ICU) rib fracture. Methods: This retrospective, case-control cohort chart review evaluated ICU adult patients with a diagnosis of ≥1 rib fracture and an Injury Severity Score >15 during 2016. Patients received standard-of-care pain management with the physician’s choice analgesics with or without ketamine as a continuous, fixed, intravenous infusion at 0.1 mg/kg/h. Results: A total of 15 ketamine treatment patients were matched with 15 control standard-of-care patients. Efficacy was measured via Numeric Pain Scale (NPS)/Behavioral Pain Scale (BPS) scores, opioid use, and ICU and hospital length of stay. Safety of ketamine was measured by changes in vital signs, adverse effects, and mortality. Average NPS/BPS, severest NPS/BPS, and opioid use were lower in the ketamine group than in controls (NPS: 4.1 vs 5.8, P < 0.001; severest NPS: 7.0 vs 8.9, P = 0.004; opioid use: 2.5 vs 3.5 mg morphine equivalents/h/d, P = 0.015). No difference was found between the cohort’s length of stay or mortality. Average diastolic blood pressure was higher in the treatment group versus the control group (75.3 vs 64.6 mm Hg, P = 0.014). Conclusion: Low-dose ketamine appears to be a safe and effective adjuvant option to reduce pain and decrease opioid use in rib fracture.


2017 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 134-141 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeannie D. Chan ◽  
Timothy H. Dellit ◽  
John B. Lynch

Objectives: We sought to evaluate clinical outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients following a hospital-wide initiative of prolonged piperacillin/tazobactam (PIP/TAZ) infusion. Methods: Retrospective observational study of patients >18 years old who was hospitalized in the ICU receiving PIP/TAZ for >72 hours during the preimplementation (June 1, 2010 to May 31, 2011) and postimplementation (July 7, 2011 to June 30, 2014) periods. Results: There were 124 and 429 patients who met inclusion criteria with average age of 54.3 and 56.9 years, and average duration of PIP/TAZ therapy was 6.1 ± 2.8 days and 5.9 ± 3.4 days in the pre- and postimplementation period, respectively. Intensive care unit and hospital length of stay (LOS) following initiation of PIP/TAZ were 8.0 ± 8.4 days versus 6.4 ± 6.8 days and 26.3 ± 22.8 days versus 20.4 ± 16.1 days among patients in the pre- and postimplementation periods, respectively. Compared to patients who received intermittent PIP/TAZ infusion, the adjusted difference in ICU and hospital LOS was 0.6 ± 0.8 days (95% confidence interval [CI]: −0.9 to 2.1 days) and 5.6 ± 2.1 days (95% CI: 1.4 - 9.7 days) shorter among patients who received prolonged PIP/TAZ infusion. At hospital discharge, 19 (15.3%) intermittent infusion and 74 (17.2%) prolonged infusion recipients had died. In comparison to intermittent infusion recipients, the adjusted odds ratio for mortality was 1.17 (95% CI: 0.65-2.1) with prolonged infusion. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated a reduction in hospital LOS with prolonged PIP/TAZ infusion among critically ill patients. Randomized trials are needed to further validate these findings.


Healthcare ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 67
Author(s):  
Duraid Younan ◽  
Sarah Delozier ◽  
Nathaniel McQuay ◽  
John Adamski ◽  
Aisha Violette ◽  
...  

Background: Ventilator-associated pneumonia is associated with significant morbidity. Although the association of gender with outcomes in trauma patients has been debated for years, recently, certain authors have demonstrated a difference. We sought to compare the outcomes of younger men and women to older men and women, among critically ill trauma patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Methods: We reviewed our trauma data base for trauma patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia admitted to our trauma intensive care unit between January 2016 and June 2018. Data collected included demographics, injury mechanism and severity (ISS), admission vital signs and laboratory data and outcome measures including hospital length of stay, ICU stay and survival. Patients were also divided into younger (<50) and older (≥50) to account for hormonal status. Linear regression and binary logistic regression models were performed to compare younger men to older men and younger women to older women, and to examine the association between gender and hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU stay (ICUS), and survival. Results: Forty-five trauma patients admitted to our trauma intensive care unit during the study period (January 2016 to August 2018) had ventilator-associated pneumonia. The average age was 58.9 ± 19.6 years with mean ISS of 18.2 ± 9.8. There were 32 (71.1%) men, 27 (60.0%) White, and 41 (91.1%) had blunt trauma. Mean ICU stay was 14.9 ± 11.4 days and mean total hospital length of stay (LOS) was 21.5 ± 14.6 days. Younger men with VAP had longer hospital LOS 28.6 ± 17.1 days compared to older men 16.7 ± 6.6 days, (p < 0.001) and longer intensive care unit stay 21.6 ± 15.6 days compared to older men 11.9 ± 7.3 days (p = 0.02), there was no significant difference in injury severity (ISS was 22.2 ± 8.4 vs. 17 ± 8, p = 0.09). Conclusions: Among trauma patients with VAP, younger men had longer hospital length of stay and a trend towards longer ICU stay. Further research should focus on the mechanisms behind this difference in outcome using a larger database.


2020 ◽  
pp. 204887262092160
Author(s):  
Alexander E Sullivan ◽  
Tara Holder ◽  
Tracy Truong ◽  
Cynthia L Green ◽  
Olamiji Sofela ◽  
...  

Background Risk stratification and management of hemodynamically stable pulmonary embolism remains challenging. Professional societies have published stratification schemes, but little is known about the management of patients with intermediate risk pulmonary embolism. We describe the care of these patients at an academic health system. Methods Patient encounters from 1 January 2016 to 30 June 2017 were retrospectively identified utilizing a multihospital, electronic health record-based data warehouse. Using the 2019 European Society of Cardiology criteria, differences in hospital resource utilization, defined as intensive care unit admission, use of invasive therapies, and length of stay, were examined in patients with intermediate risk characteristics. Results A cohort of 322 intermediate risk patients, including 165 intermediate–low and 157 intermediate–high risk patients, was identified. Intermediate–high risk patients more often underwent catheter-directed therapy (14.0% vs. 1.8%; P<0.001) compared to intermediate–low risk patients and had a 50% higher rate of intensive care unit admission (relative risk 1.50; 95% confidence interval 1.06, 2.12; P=0.023). There was no difference in median intensive care unit length of stay (2.7 vs. 2.0 days; P=0.761) or hospital length of stay (5.0 vs. 5.0 days; P=0.775) between intermediate–high risk and intermediate–low risk patients. Patients that underwent invasive therapies had a 3.8-day shorter hospital length of stay (beta –3.75; 95% confidence interval –6.17, –1.32; P=0.002). Conclusion This study presents insights into the hospital resource utilization of patients with intermediate risk pulmonary embolism. The 2019 European Society of Cardiology risk stratification criteria are a clinically relevant scheme that identifies patients more often treated with intensive care unit admission and advanced therapies.


2010 ◽  
Vol 76 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeremiah T. Martin ◽  
Fuad Alkhoury ◽  
Judith A. O'Connor ◽  
Tassos C. Kyriakides ◽  
John A. Bonadies

Base deficit (BD) and lactic acid (LA) are accepted markers of hypoperfusion and predictors of outcome in the trauma patient and we aim to assess the value of these markers in the triage of the elderly with “normal” vital signs. Patients older than age 65 who presented between 1997 and 2004 but who did not have isolated head injuries were included. Three patient groups were established: normal, occult hypoperfusion (OH), and shock. Outcome measures included mortality, hospital length of stay, intensive care unit length of stay, and discharge disposition. One hundred six patients were included in the analysis and had similar Injury Severity Scores. Mean systolic blood pressure was similar in the normal and OH groups. Forty-two per cent of patients had abnormal BD or LA in the emergency room indicating OH. These patients were more likely to have a longer intensive care unit length of stay (8.6 days vs 3 days; P = 0.01) and were also more likely to be discharged to a nursing facility ( P = 0.03). The trend was toward increased mortality in the OH group. OH is a common finding in elderly trauma patients. Outcomes in these patients are different and more like those presenting in shock.


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