44 Ceftriaxone Prescribing Patterns in an Outpatient Hospital Setting: A Quality Improvement Study

Abstract

Abstract Background Ceftriaxone is a commonly administered antibiotic in paediatric medical day hospitals (MDH) for certain conditions where it may be considered first-line. Its long half-life permits once-daily dosing, thus potentially avoiding inpatient admission. However, administration of ceftriaxone requires intravenous line insertion, daily follow-up, and time spent by the family. There is a perception among healthcare providers in our tertiary hospital that ceftriaxone use is frequently inappropriate in the outpatient setting, and that more narrow-spectrum oral agents could be prescribed instead. Objectives Our primary objective was to evaluate the appropriateness of ceftriaxone use according to centre-specific first-line indications, in children between the ages of 3 months and 18 years in the MDH. Design/Methods Data were collected retrospectively for one winter season (Nov 2, 2019 to Jan 11, 2020) and one summer season (June 2, 2020 to Sept 25, 2020). All patients initially referred by the emergency department (ED) to the MDH were reviewed. Inclusion criteria included children (age 3 months to 18 years) who received ceftriaxone in the MDH or the ED. Patients with pre-existing immunodeficiency were excluded. Appropriateness was assessed according to the empiric antimicrobial guide available at our centre. In cases where ceftriaxone appropriateness was unclear, a detailed chart review was conducted by two parties including a resident and a staff trained in paediatric infectious diseases. Results Among eligible patients referred to the MDH from the ED (n=196), ceftriaxone was inappropriate in 113 cases (57.7%). Inappropriateness was more prevalent in the summer than the winter (76% vs 41.3%, p<0.0001). The most frequent inappropriate indications for ceftriaxone were: cellulitis with a skin portal of entry, including pre-septal cellulitis (54.0%); non-severe pneumonia (11.5%); and acute lymphadenitis (11.5%). Cellulitis was more prevalent in the summer (38.7% vs 16.3%), whereas pneumonia was more prevalent in the winter (20.2% vs 2.2%). Ceftriaxone was almost always initially prescribed in the ED (95.4%), and was continued in 164/187 (87.7%) of first MDH visits. An average of 2.9 doses of ceftriaxone was given per patient. Only one patient was documented to be initially unwell looking in the ED, and 50% were afebrile. Conclusion Ceftriaxone is overused in the MDH at our institution, largely due to skin and soft tissue infections and non-severe pneumonia. Targeted antimicrobial stewardship interventions to reduce ceftriaxone use in both the ED and MDH could improve the patient experience (less broad-spectrum antibiotics, less invasive procedures) and the efficient use of the MDH.