Heartburn as a Marker of the Success of Acid Suppression Therapy in Chronic Cough

Purpose Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is commonly thought to play an important role in chronic cough and patients are often empirically treated with acid suppression therapy. We sought to investigate the response rate to acid suppression treatment in patients with and without heartburn attending two specialist cough clinics. Methods A retrospective review of 558 consecutive patients referred to two specialist cough clinics was performed (UK and USA). Patients who were treated with acid suppression were included and their documented response to treatment was collected. Binary logistic regression was used to ascertain the value of reported heartburn in predicting the response of chronic cough to acid suppression therapy. Results Of 558 consecutive referrals, 238 patients were excluded due to missing data or cough duration of < 8 weeks. The remaining 320 patients were predominantly female (76%), with mean age 61 yrs (± 13) and 96.8% non-smokers, with chronic cough for 36 (18–117) months. Of 72 patients with heartburn, 20 (28%) noted improvement in their cough with acid suppression, whereas of 248 without heartburn, only 35 (14%) responded. Patients reporting heartburn were 2.7 (95% C.I. 1.3–5.6) times more likely to respond to acid suppression therapy (p = 0.007). Conclusion In specialist cough clinics, few patients report a response of their chronic cough to acid suppression therapy. Nonetheless, heartburn is a useful predictor substantially increasing the likelihood of benefit.

98. Outcomes of Clinical Decision Support for Outpatient Management of Clostridioides difficile Infection

Background Our antimicrobial stewardship program identified high rates of suboptimal metronidazole prescribing for Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within ambulatory clinics. An outpatient best practice advisory (BPA) was implemented to notify prescribers “Vancomycin or fidaxomicin are preferred over metronidazole for C.difficile infection” when metronidazole was prescribed to a patient with CDI. Methods We conducted an IRB approved quasi-experiment before and after implementation of the BPA on June 3, 2020. Inclusion: Adult patients diagnosed with and treated for a first episode of symptomatic CDI at an ambulatory clinic between 11/1/2019 and 11/30/2020. Exclusion: fulminant CDI. Primary endpoint: guideline-concordant CDI therapy, defined as oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin. Oral metronidazole was considered guideline-concordant if prescribed due to cost barrier. Secondary endpoints: reasons for alternative CDI therapy, patient outcomes, prescriber response to the BPA. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were completed. Results 189 patients were included in the study, 92 before and 97 after the BPA. Median age: 59 years, 31% male, 75% Caucasian, 30% with CDI-related comorbidities, 35% with healthcare exposure, 65% with antibiotic exposure, 44% with gastric acid suppression therapy within 90 days of CDI diagnosis. The BPA was accepted 23 out of 26 times and optimized the therapy of 16 patients in six months. Guideline-concordant therapy increased after implementation of the BPA (72% vs. 91%, p=0.001) (Figure 1). Vancomycin prescribing increased and metronidazole prescribing decreased after the BPA (Figure 2). Reasons for alternative CDI therapy included medication cost, lack of insurance coverage, and non-CDI infection. There was no difference in clinical response or unplanned encounter within 14 days after treatment initiation. Fewer patients after the BPA had CDI recurrence within 14-56 days of the initial episode (27% vs. 7%, p&lt; 0.001). Figure 1. Guideline-concordant CDI therapy Figure 2. Specific CDI therapy Conclusion Clinical decision support increased prescribing of guideline-concordant CDI therapy in the outpatient setting. A targeted BPA is an effective stewardship intervention and may be especially useful in settings with limited antimicrobial stewardship resources. Disclosures Susan L. Davis, PharmD, Nothing to disclose Rachel Kenney, PharmD, Medtronic, Inc. (Other Financial or Material Support, spouse is an employee and shareholder)

Acid Suppression Therapy for the Empirical Treatment of Nausea and Vomiting in Hospitalized Pediatric Patients

Objective: To investigate and compare the safety and efficacy of the empirical use of Histamine-2-receptor antagonists (H2RAs) and Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), for the treatment of unspecified nausea and vomiting (NV) in hospitalized children. Methods: The retrospective cohort study was conducted at King Abdulaziz Medical City in Riyadh (KAMC-R) and included pediatric patients ≤14 years who received acid suppression therapy (AST), H2RAs or PPIs, for the treatment of unspecified NV between April 30, 2018, and April 30, 2019. The primary outcome was the complete resolution of NV within three days of AST. The secondary outcomes were the frequency of rescue medication use, the number of vomiting episodes since starting the AST, and the adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Results: Sixty-two patients were included in the study, 25 (40.3%) were in the H2RAs group and 37 (59.7%) in the PPIs group. The mean age was 3.69 ± 4.13 years, with the majority male (64.5%). Overall, 87% (n=54) of the sample had complete resolution of NV within 3 days of the AST therapy with no difference between the H2RAs and PPIs groups (p=0.344). The number of NV episodes from initiating the AST until the complete resolution was similar between the groups. In total, 14 patients (25.9%) required rescue therapy with granisetron, 6 (26.1%) in the H2RAs group compared to 8 (25.8%) in the PPIs group. There was no difference in the number of the required granisetron doses or the incidence of ADRs. Conclusion: Both PPIs and H2RAs were effective and safe for the treatment of unspecified NV in hospitalized pediatric patients. The selection of either agent should be based on other factors. Keywords: Pediatric; Nausea and vomiting; Proton pump inhibitor; Histamine-2-receptor antagonist; Granisetron.

Outcomes of clinical decision support for outpatient management of Clostridioides difficile infection

Objective: To determine the impact of clinical decision support on guideline-concordant Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) treatment. Design: Quasi-experimental study in >50 ambulatory clinics. Setting: Primary, specialty, and urgent-care clinics. Patients: Adult patients were eligible for inclusion if they were diagnosed with and treated for a first episode of symptomatic CDI at an ambulatory clinic between November 1, 2019, and November 30, 2020. Interventions: An outpatient best practice advisory (BPA) was implemented to notify prescribers that “vancomycin or fidaxomicin are preferred over metronidazole for C.difficile infection” when metronidazole was prescribed to a patient with CDI. Results: In total, 189 patients were included in the study: 92 before the BPA and 97 after the BPA. Their median age was 59 years; 31% were male; 75% were white; 30% had CDI-related comorbidities; 35% had healthcare exposure; 65% had antibiotic exposure; 44% had gastric acid suppression therapy within 90 days of CDI diagnosis. The BPA was accepted 23 of 26 times and was used to optimize the therapy of 16 patients in 6 months. Guideline-concordant therapy increased after implementation of the BPA (72% vs 91%; P = .001). Vancomycin prescribing increased and metronidazole prescribing decreased after the BPA. There was no difference in clinical response or unplanned encounter within 14 days after treatment initiation. Fewer patients after the BPA had CDI recurrence within 14–56 days of the initial episode (27% vs 7%; P < .001). Conclusions: Clinical decision support increased prescribing of guideline-concordant CDI therapy in the outpatient setting. A targeted BPA is an effective stewardship intervention and may be especially useful in settings with limited antimicrobial stewardship resources.

Heartburn As a Marker of the Success of Acid Suppression Therapy in Chronic Cough.

Purpose: Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) is commonly thought to play an important role in chronic cough and patients are often empirically treated with acid suppression therapy. We sought to investigate the response rate to acid suppression treatment in patients with and without heartburn attending two specialist cough clinics. Methods: A retrospective review of 558 consecutive patients referred to two specialist cough clinics was performed (UK and US). Patients who were treated with acid suppression were included and their documented response to treatment collected. Binary logistic regression was used to ascertain the value of reported heartburn in predicting the response of chronic cough to acid suppression therapy. Results: Of 558 consecutive referrals, 238 patients were excluded due to missing data or cough duration of <8weeks. The remaining 320 patients were predominantly female (76%), mean age 61yrs (±13), 96.8% non-smokers, with chronic cough for 36 (18-117) months. Of 72 patients with heartburn, 20 (28%) noted improvement in their cough with acid suppression, whereas of 248 without heartburn, only 35 (14%) responded. Patients reporting heartburn were 2.7 (95% C.I. 1.3-5.6) times more likely to respond to acid suppression therapy (p=0.007).Conclusion: In specialist cough clinics, few patients report a response of their chronic cough to acid suppression therapy. Nonetheless, heartburn is a useful predictor substantially increasing the likelihood of benefit.

Occurrence of a Duodenal Polypoid Lesion During Long-Term Acid Suppression Therapy and Its Regression After Drug Discontinuation

Formation of multiple fundic gland polyps or hyperplastic polyps in the gastric mucosa is one of the well-known adverse effects of the long-term acid suppression therapy for peptic ulcer disease. However, similar phenomenon has not been reported to occur in the duodenum. We report a case of duodenal polypoid lesion that developed after the long-term use of acid suppressants and disappeared after the cessation of the treatment. The patient was a 76-year-old man with a history of heavy cigarette smoking and excessive alcohol intake who had been treated with medication of gastric acid suppressants, including proton pump inhibitors and potassium-competitive acid blockers, for refractory gastroesophageal reflux disease. After receiving the acid suppression therapy for 3 years, a polypoid lesion of 10 mm in diameter was found at the portion of the duodenal bulb. This polypoid lesion disappeared 1.5 months after the cessation of treatment. We hypothesized that changes in serum gastrin levels caused by acid suppression therapy might have been associated with the development and regression of the duodenal polypoid lesion.

Controversial link between proton pump inhibitors and anticancer agents: review of the literature

Drug–drug interactions represent a topic of great interest, not only due to the risk of unexpected adverse events but also due to the possibility of altering the effectiveness of a specific treatment. Inappropriate or concomitant use of drugs can often lead to changes in the bioavailability of various compounds, resulting in pharmacokinetic alterations. A recent example is the concomitant administration of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and anticancer agents. PPIs are overused beyond their classic indications, resulting in a high risk of interactions with other drugs, such as anticancer agents, both PO and intravenous. However, the real clinical impact of concomitant acid suppression therapy and anticancer therapies remains controversial and is not yet fully understood. Certainly, the gut microbiota plays a key role in regulating the response of the immune system, and PPIs can significantly alter the gut microbiome, resulting in gut dysbiosis. Indeed, while the link sometimes appears to lead to negative outcomes, as in the case of immunotherapy, oral capecitabine, or tyrosine kinase inhibitors, in other cases, it seems to enhance the effectiveness of intravenous chemotherapy. In this review, I analyse the possible drug interactions between PPIs and the main classes of anticancer drugs.

Pemphigus vulgaris presenting as esophageal ulceration. Report of an underdiagnosed manifestation

Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is a rare autoimmune blistering disorder of the skin and mucous membranes. The true prevalence of esophageal involvement is unknown; esophageal symptoms almost always occur in the context of oral mucosa involvement. We report the case of a 66-year-old man with cutaneous blisters and esophageal symptoms that did not respond to acid suppression therapy. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy showed esophageal ulcers and mucosal desquamation. Biopsies were consistent with the diagnosis of PV. The patient was started on immunosuppressive therapy, achieving remission. This represents a rare case of esophageal involvement of PV without mucosal involvement and draws attention to a rare cause of dysphagia, which can be fatal if left untreated