Abstract

BackgroundPediatric antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs) have been successful in decreasing inappropriate antibiotic use. However, they require considerable time and effort. Approaches to increase ASP efficiency are urgently needed. We developed and validated an electronic algorithm to identify inappropriate antibiotic use in children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).MethodsAt Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), we used ICD-10 diagnostic codes to identify inpatient patient encounters for pneumonia between 3/15/17 – 3/14/18 for which patients received a systemic antibiotic in the first 48 hours of hospitalization. Exclusion criteria included transfer from another facility, intensive care unit admission or death in first 48 hours, immunocompromising condition, or specific comorbidities. We randomly selected 150 subjects. Inappropriate antibiotic use based on chart review served as the basis for assessment of the electronic algorithm which was constructed using only data in the electronic health record (EHR). Criteria for appropriate prescribing, choice of antibiotic, and duration of therapy were based on established CHOP and IDSA/PIDS guidelines.ResultsOf 148 eligible subjects, median age was 3.8, 48% were female, and 129 (86%) were admitted to a general pediatrics service. On chart review, 147 (99%) subjects were correctly diagnosed with CAP. Of these subjects, the choice of initial antibiotic(s) was appropriate in 133 (90%). Of the 147 subjects, 137 (93%) had an appropriate duration of therapy. Test characteristics of the EHR algorithm (compared to chart review) are noted in the Table.ConclusionIn pediatric patients hospitalized with CAP, the electronic algorithm for identifying inappropriate prescribing, antibiotic choice, and duration was highly accurate. This algorithm could have considerable utility in targeting ASP initiatives. The impact of interventions based on this algorithm should be tested in the futureTest Characteristics of Electronic Algorithm for Inappropriate Prescribing, Agent, and Duration Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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