Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio (SAAR) Clinical Outcomes Assessment in a Large Community Healthcare System

Abstract

Background: Research on the association between the standardized antimicrobial administration ratio (SAAR) and clinical outcomes is lacking. Objective: We compared SAAR and patient outcomes in 97 acute-care facilities affiliated with a large healthcare system. Methods: Facilities were classified using the broad-spectrum hospital-onset (BSHO) SAAR for medical, surgical, and medical-surgical wards as low, moderate, or high antimicrobial use: low use SAAR, <0.8; moderate use SAAR, 0.95–1.05; and high-use SAAR, >1.2. Data were included from patients aged ≥18 years who were discharged between the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2019, had nonmissing matching criteria, BMI between 10 and 90, and at least 1 BSHO medication administered in a medical, surgical, or medical-surgical ward. Patients were matched for gender, age group, BMI category, year and quarter of discharge, ICU stay, and diagnosis-related group (DRG). Eligible drugs included all routes for cefepime, ceftazidime, doripenem, imipenem/cilastatin, meropenem, and piperacillin/tazobactam and IV only for amikacin, aztreonam, gentamicin, and tobramycin. Outcomes were evaluated in a pairwise manner using t tests or χ2 tests. Results: Each of the 3 study groups consisted of 6,327 patients, 51% of whom were men; average age, 63 years; 70% of whom were obese or overweight, and 19% of whom had an ICU stay. The most common DRG code was infectious and parasitic diseases (57%) followed by digestive system (9%), respiratory system (7%), and kidney and urinary tract (6%). High antibiotic use was associated with longer length of stay and a higher estimated cost per visit. Low antibiotic use was associated with higher rate of mortality and a lower rate of readmissions compared to moderate use. The low-usage group did not exhibit a statistically significant difference in mortality, readmissions, or rate of C. difficile compared to the high-usage group. Conclusions: The optimal antibiotic utilization group varied among outcomes. Further evaluation of outcomes is needed for the SAAR to understand the ranges and the relationship between the measure and clinical outcomes.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None