Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs Research Articles

38. Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Interventions on Adherence to Clostridioides difficile Treatment Guidelines

Abstract Background Facility-specific treatment guidelines are a priority intervention recommended in the CDC Core Elements of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs). Our ASP sought to improve adherence to the facility C. difficile infection (CDI) treatment guideline by implementing prospective audit and feedback of CDI cases, changing fidaxomicin from being restricted to Infectious Diseases consult use, to only requiring prospective audit and feedback, and allowing fidaxomicin and oral vancomycin orders only through the order set. This study reviews the impact of these interventions. Methods This single-center retrospective quasi-experimental study evaluated inpatient CDI lab events 3 months pre-intervention (10/1/2019-12/31/2019) and post-intervention (10/14/2020-1/14/2021). Patient and treatment data was evaluated via chart review. The primary outcome was adherence to CDI treatment guideline. ASP intervention types were categorized. Statistical analyses were performed using Chi-squared or Fischer’s exact, where appropriate. Results Baseline characteristics were well matched between the 58 and 70 patients pre and post intervention respectively (Table 1). ASP interventions resulting from the prospective audit and feedback are described in Table 2 and overall acceptance rates were high (88%). Guideline adherence improved significantly from 71% pre to 90% post-intervention (p=0.005). Reasons for non-adherence included vancomycin dose incorrect for the severity of illness (9 pre vs 2 post), inappropriate duration (4 pre vs 0 post), use of combination therapy in non-fulminant disease (5 pre vs 3 post), and not using fidaxomicin for recurrent disease (3 pre vs 2 post). Clinical outcomes pre and post intervention were not different in this small sample size: colectomy 1 (2%) vs 1 (1%) p=1, 60 day all- cause mortality 15 (26%) vs 14 (20%) p=0.43, and CDI recurrence at day 60 9/43 (21%) vs 5/56 (9%) p=0.131. Conclusion A bundle of ASP interventions including prospective audit and feedback of CDI cases improved adherence to facility-specific CDI treatment guidelines. Disclosures Tamara Krekel, PharmD, BCPS, BCIDP, Merck (Speaker’s Bureau) Erik R. Dubberke, MD, MSPH, Ferring (Grant/Research Support)Merck (Consultant)Pfizer (Consultant, Grant/Research Support)Seres (Consultant)Summit (Consultant)

Antimicrobial Stewardship with and without Infectious Diseases Specialist Services to Improve Quality-of-Care in Secondary and Tertiary Care Hospitals in Germany: Study Protocol of the ID ROLL OUT Study.

BackgroundAntimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programs aim to secure the rational prescription of antibiotics through implementing department- or hospital-level activities. Infectious disease (ID) specialists improve the quality of care and outcomes in infection patients predominantly by individual consultations and patient-level interventions. While hospital AMS programs are established to various extents in Germany, ID specialist services are rarely available in this country. In the ID ROLL OUT study, we will implement and evaluate hospital-level AMS tools with and without ID specialist services in secondary and tertiary care hospitals. We aim to identify means to comprehensively and sustainably improve the quality of care of patients with infectious diseases.MethodsThis project is a clustered, two-armed intervention study, which will be conducted in ten secondary and tertiary (non-university) care hospitals in Germany. The intervention groups are stratified by key characteristics of the hospitals. We will compare two interventional strategies: implementation of AMS teams and implementation of AMS teams combined with the activities of ID specialists (AMS + IDS).Planned OutcomesThe primary outcome is the quality of care as measured in changes in a Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) score (as an indicator of difficult-to-treat infections) and a community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) score (as an indicator of common infections) compared to a baseline pre-interventional period. Our secondary outcomes comprise patient- and hospital-level outcomes, such as the quality and frequency of antibiotic treatment, in-hospital mortality, duration of hospitalization, and C. difficile incidence (associated diarrhea episodes). The study may provide urgently needed key information for the aspired advancement of ID care in Germany.Trial RegistrationDRKS00023710 (registered on 9th April 2021).Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s40121-021-00552-1.

Assessing the impact of the Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) on hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes: results of a worldwide survey

BackgroundThe Global Point Prevalence Survey of Antimicrobial Consumption and Resistance (Global-PPS) provides a methodology to support hospitals worldwide in collecting antimicrobial use data. We aim to evaluate the impact of the Global-PPS on local antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes and assess health care professionals’ educational needs and barriers for implementing AMS.MethodsA cross-sectional survey was disseminated within the Global-PPS network. The target audience consisted of hospital healthcare workers, involved in local surveillance of antimicrobial consumption and resistance. This included contacts from hospitals that already participated in the Global-PPS or were planning to do so. The survey contained 24 questions that addressed the hospital’s AMS activities, experiences conducting the PPS, as well as the learning needs and barriers for implementing AMS.ResultsA total of 248 hospitals from 74 countries participated in the survey, of which 192 had already conducted the PPS at least once. The survey response rate was estimated at 25%. In 96.9% of these 192 hospitals, Global-PPS participation had led to the identification of problems related to antimicrobial prescribing. In 69.3% at least one of the hospital’s AMS components was initiated as a result of Global-PPS findings. The level of AMS implementation varied across regions. Up to 43.1% of all hospitals had a formal antimicrobial stewardship strategy, ranging from 10.8% in Africa to 60.9% in Northern America. Learning needs of hospitals in high-income countries and in low-and middle-income countries were largely similar and included general topics (e.g. ‘optimising antibiotic treatment’), but also PPS-related topics (e.g. ‘translating PPS results into meaningful interventions’). The main barriers to implementing AMS programmes were a lack of time (52.7%), knowledge on good prescribing practices (42.0%), and dedicated funding (39.9%). Hospitals in LMIC more often reported unavailability of prescribing guidelines, insufficient laboratory capacity and suboptimal use of the available laboratory services.ConclusionsAlthough we observed substantial variation in the level of AMS implementation across regions, the Global-PPS has been very useful in informing stewardship activities in many participating hospitals. More is still to be gained in guiding hospitals to integrate the PPS throughout AMS activities, building on existing structures and processes.

Predictors of antibiotic prescriptions: a knowledge, attitude and practice survey among physicians in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria

BackgroundAs part of the Global Action Plan against antimicrobial resistance (AMR), countries are required to generate local evidence to inform context-specific implementation of national action plans against AMR (NAPAR). We aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding antibiotic prescriptions (APR) and AMR among physicians in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria, and to determine predictors of KAP of APR and AMR.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, we enrolled physicians practicing in tertiary hospitals from all six geopolitical zones of Nigeria. Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASP) by each selected hospital were assessed using a 12 item ASP checklist. We used a structured self-administered questionnaire to assess the KAP of APR and AMR. Frequency of prescriptions of 18 different antibiotics in the prior 6 months was assessed using a Likert’s scale. KAP and prescription (Pr) scores were classified as good (score ≥ 80%) or average/poor (score < 80%). Independent predictors of good knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAPPr) were ascertained using an unconditional logistic regression model.ResultsA total of 1324 physicians out of 1778 (74% response rate) practicing in 12 tertiary hospitals in 11 states across all six geopolitical zones participated in the study. None of the participating hospitals had a formal ASP programme and majority did not implement antimicrobial stewardship strategies. The median KAPPr scores were 71.1%, 77%, 75% and 53.3%, for the knowledge, attitude, practice, and prescription components, respectively. Only 22.3%, 40.3%, 31.6% and 31.7% of study respondents had good KAPPr, respectively. All respondents had prescribed one or more antibiotics in the prior 6 months, mostly Amoxicillin-clavulanate (98%), fluoroquinolones (97%), and ceftriaxone (96.8%). About 68% of respondents had prescribed antibiotics from the World Health Organization reserve group. Prior AMR training, professional rank, department, and hospital of practice were independently associated with good KAPPr.ConclusionsOur study suggests gaps in knowledge and attitude of APR and AMR with inappropriate prescriptions of antibiotics among physicians practicing in tertiary hospitals in Nigeria. Nigeria’s NAPAR should also target establishment and improvement of ASP in hospitals and address institutional, educational, and professional factors that may influence emergence of AMR in Nigeria.

Effects of a Collaborative, Community Hospital Network for Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Implementation.

Individual hospitals may lack expertise, data resources, and educational tools to support antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP). We established a collaborative, consultative network focused on hospital ASP implementation. Services included on-site expert consultation, shared database for routine feedback and benchmarking, and educational programs. We performed a retrospective, longitudinal analysis of antimicrobial use (AU) in 17 hospitals that participated for at least 36 months during 2013-2018. ASP practice was assessed using structured interviews. Segmented regression estimated change in facility-wide AU after a 1-year assessment, planning, and intervention initiation period. Year 1 AU trend (1-12 months) and AU trend following the first year (13-42 months) were compared using relative rates (RR). Monthly AU rates were measured in days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient days for overall AU, specific agents, and agent groups. Analyzed data included over 2.5 million DOT and almost 3 million patient-days. Participating hospitals increased ASP-focused activities over time. Network-wide overall AU trends were flat during the first 12 months after network entry but decreased thereafter (RR month 42 vs month 13, 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI]: .91-.99). Large variation was seen in hospital-specific AU. Fluoroquinolone use was stable during year 1 and then dropped significantly. Other agent groups demonstrated a nonsignificant downward trajectory after year 1. Network hospitals increased ASP activities and demonstrated decline in AU over a 42-month period. A collaborative, consultative network is a unique model in which hospitals can access ASP implementation expertise to support long-term program growth.

Point prevalence survey of antimicrobial consumption and resistance: 2015-2018 longitudinal survey results from Nigeria

Background: Nigeria joined the global community in monitoring antimicrobial prescribing practices since 2015. Results of individual hospital Global Point Prevalence Survey (Global-PPS) have stimulated efforts at instituting hospital-based antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes. We report the trends of antimicrobial prescribing rates and quality indicators for 3 surveillance periods; 2015, 2017 and 2018.Methodology: The web-based Global-PPS for surveillance of antimicrobial use in hospitals (www.globalpps.com) was completed by each participating hospital site for all inpatients receiving antimicrobials on a selected day in 2015, 2017 and 2018. Data included details on antimicrobial agents, reasons and indications for treatment and a set of quality prescribing indicators. Data were validated by the web-based data management system of University of Antwerp, exported into Microsoft Excel and analyzed with EPI INFO version 7.2.Results: Thirteen hospitals participated in the survey involving a total of 5,174 inpatients. Mean weighted overall antimicrobial prescribing prevalence was 70.7% which declined over the years from 71.7% in 2015 to 59.1% in 2018 (p&lt;0.001). The rate of documentation of date for post prescription review improved from 27.9% in 2015 to 48.5% in 2018 (p&lt;0.001) while the rates of targeted treatment declined from 12.0% in 2015 to 5.2% in 2018 (p&lt;0.001). There was no significant change in the choice of parenteral drug administration (64.5% in 2015, 65.1% in 2017 and 62.6% in 2018; p=0.6803), and but there was significant increase in documentation of reasons for prescription in case notes (62.2% in 2015, 74.5% in 2017, and 70.9% in 2018; p=0.008). Overall, the main indications for therapeutic prescribing were skin and soft tissue infections (20.8%), sepsis (15.9%) and pneumonia (11.6%). The top three antibiotics for therapeutic use were ceftriaxone (18.2%), metronidazole (15.3%) and ciprofloxacin (10.4%).Conclusions: The survey showed reduction in the overall antimicrobial prescribing rate especially in hospitals that had introduced AMS programmes. Among the quality prescribing indicators, documentation of post prescription review date showed improvement. The Global-PPS serves as a cost effective, flexible and userfriendly tool in instituting AMS programmes in hospitals.&#x0D; Keywords: antimicrobial prescribing, hospital, global-point prevalence survey, quality indicators

Quality indicators for hospital antimicrobial stewardship programmes: a systematic review.

Measuring the quality and effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) programmes with quality indicators (QIs) is an area of increasing interest. We conducted a systematic review to identify QIs of AMS programmes in the hospital setting and critically appraise their methodological quality. We searched the Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Scopus/web of science databases and the grey literature for studies that defined and/or described the development process and characteristics of the QIs developed. The Appraisal of Indicators through Research and Evaluation (AIRE) instrument was used to critically appraise the methodological quality of the QI sets. We identified 16 studies of QI sets consisting of 229 QIs. The QI sets addressed a broad range of areas of AMS in the hospital setting and consisted of 75% process indicators, 24% structural indicators and 1% outcome indicators. There was a wide variation in the information and level of detail presented describing the methodological characteristics of the QI sets identified. The QIs identified in this study focused on process and structural indicators with few outcome indicators developed-a major deficiency in this area. Future research should focus on the development of outcome indicators or the use of process or structural indicators linked to outcomes to assess AMS. Testing of the QIs in practice is an essential methodological element of the QI development process and should be included in the QI development study or as planned validation work.

Antimicrobial Stewardship Programmes in Saudi Hospitals: Evidence from a National Survey.

Saudi hospitals and healthcare facilities are facing increasing rates of antimicrobial resistance and the emergence of new multi-drug resistant strains. This is placing an unprecedented threat to successful treatments and outcomes of patients accessing those facilities. The inappropriate use of antimicrobials is fueling this crisis, warranting urgent implementation of interventions to preserve antimicrobials and reduce resistance rates. Antimicrobial stewardship programmes (ASPs) can improve antimicrobial use, treatment success rates and reduce the levels of antimicrobial resistance. The Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) devised a national antimicrobial stewardship plan to implement ASPs in hospitals, but little is known about the progress of implementation and the factors affecting it. This study aims to assess the level and the factors affecting the adoption and implementation of ASPs in Saudi hospitals at a national level. A nationwide cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2017 using an online questionnaire sent to all MOH hospitals. Overall, 147 out 247 MOH hospitals responded to the survey (54%). Only 26% of the hospitals reported the implementation of ASPs. Hospitals lack the knowledge, technological and staff resources to adopt and implement ASPs. Alternative models of ASP adoption could be explored to improve the rates of implementation of ASPs.

Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program in a veterinary medical teaching institution.

Widespread use of antimicrobials in human and veterinary medicine drives the emergence and dissemination of resistant bacteria in human, animal, and environmental reservoirs. The AVMA and FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine have both taken public positions emphasizing the importance of incorporating antimicrobial stewardship in veterinary clinical settings; however, a model for implementing a comprehensive antimicrobial stewardship program in veterinary practice is not readily available. In 2015, The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine began developing a veterinary antimicrobial stewardship program modeled on existing programs in human health-care institutions and the 7 core elements of a successful hospital antimicrobial stewardship program, as defined by the CDC. The program includes comprehensive antimicrobial use guidelines, active environmental surveillance, and enhanced infection control procedures in The Ohio State University Veterinary Medical Center, along with routine monitoring and reporting of antimicrobial prescribing practices and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of common pathogens isolated from patients and the hospital environment. Finally, programs have been developed to educate clinicians, staff, and students on antimicrobial resistance and appropriate antimicrobial prescribing practices. The antimicrobial stewardship program has been designed to help clinicians and students confidently make judicious antimicrobial use decisions and provide them with actionable steps that can help them act as strong stewards while providing the best care for their patients. This report describes our program and the process involved in developing it, with the intent that the program could serve as a potential model for other veterinary medical institutions.

Current Status of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in São Paulo Hospitals

OBJECTIVES:Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) comprise coordinated interventions designed to improve antimicrobial use. Understanding the current structure of ASP hospitals will support interventions for the improvement of these programs. This study aimed to describe the status of ASPs in hospitals in São Paulo, Brazil.METHODS:A cross-sectional survey was conducted on the ASPs of hospitals in the state of São Paulo from March to July 2018. Through interviews by telephone or e-mail, we queried which components of the Infectious Diseases Society of America/Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines were implemented.RESULTS:The response rate was 30% (28/93 hospitals), and 26 hospitals (85%) reported having a formal ASP. The most frequently implemented strategies were antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis guidelines (100%), empiric sepsis guidelines (93%), and the presence of ASP team members during bedside rounds (96%). The least commonly implemented strategies included prior authorization for all antimicrobials (11%), pharmacokinetic monitoring, and an adjustment program for patients on IV aminoglycosides (3%). Regarding the metrics of the ASP, the most common indicator was the rate of antimicrobial resistance (77%). Eighteen hospitals evaluated antimicrobial consumption using defined daily dose, and only 29% evaluated the days of therapy; 61% of hospitals reported their results to the hospital administration and 39% to the prescribers.CONCLUSIONS:Most hospitals have a formal and active ASP, but with timely actions. We observed inconsistencies between what program leaders understand as the main objective of ASP and the metrics used to evaluate it. Part of the effort for the next few years should be to improve program evaluation metrics and to provide feedback to physicians and hospital leadership.

76. Optimizing Clinical Outcomes in Geriatric Patients through a Multidisciplinary Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program

BackgroundAntimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) aim to ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics. There is limited literature evaluating ASP outcomes in hospitalized geriatric patients who are at higher risk for developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) or other adverse outcomes. The primary objective of this study was to determine if ASP efforts in this age group decreases the rate of 30-day hospital readmissions due to reinfection or development of CDI, hospital length of stay (LOS) and mortality.MethodsA retrospective chart review was performed to compare the rates of 30-day hospital readmissions because of reinfection or development of CDI in patients 65 years and older who received ASP interventions between January and June 2017. A control group of patients 65 years and older who received antibiotics between January and June 2015 (pre-ASP) was analyzed for comparison. We also assessed their mortality rate and LOS. Patients were included if they received antibiotics for pneumonia (PNA), urinary tract infection (UTI), acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection (ABSSSI) and complicated intra-abdominal infection (cIAI). The ASP team consisted of an infectious diseases physician and a clinical pharmacist who met daily to review patients on broad spectrum antibiotics. ASP interventions consisted of de-escalation of empiric or definitive therapy, change in duration of therapy or discontinuation of therapy.ResultsOverall, 834 patients (540 control; 294 intervention) were included. The 30-day hospital readmission rate for all infection types decreased during the intervention period (19.6% vs 4.8%, P=0.0001). Both the development of CDI during hospital stay and 30-day readmission due to CDI during the intervention period decreased (2.6% vs 0.34%, P=0.019). There was no statistically significant decrease in 30-day hospital readmissions in the PNA (58.5% vs. 35.7%, P=0.11), UTI (18.9% vs. 35.7%, P=0.15), ABSSSI (12.3% vs. 21.4%, P=0.34) or cIAI (10.4% vs 7.1%, P=0.14) arms. There was no statically significant change in LOS (7.50 days vs 7.26 days, P=0.48) or mortality (9.6% vs 6.5%, P=0.12).ConclusionMultidisciplinary ASP efforts significantly reduced 30-day hospital readmission rates and development of CDI in hospitalized patients 65 years and older.Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Accelerate Pheno™ blood culture detection system: a literature review.

Accelerate Pheno™ (ACC) is a fully automated system providing rapid identification of a panel of bacteria and yeasts, and antimicrobial susceptibility testingof common bacterial pathogens responsible forbloodstream infectionsand sepsis. Diagnostic accuracy for identification ranges from 87.9 to 100%, and antimicrobial susceptibility testing categorical agreement is higher than 91%. The present review includes peer-reviewed studies on ACC published to date. Both interventional and hypothetical studies evidenced the potential positive clinical role of ACC in the management and therapy of patients with bloodstream infections and sepsis, due to the important reduction in timeto report, suggesting a crucial impact on the therapeutic management of these patients, provided the presence of a hospital antimicrobial stewardship program, a 24/7 laboratory operating time and a strict collaboration between clinical microbiologist and clinician. Further prospective multicenter studies are necessary to explore the impact of this system on mortality, lengthof stayand spread of multidrug-resistant organisms.

Trend analysis of antibiotics consumption using WHO AWaRe classification in tertiary care hospital

Background: Aim of the study was to assess trend in antibiotics consumption pattern from 2016 to 2019 using AWaRe classification, ATC and Defined daily dose methodology (DDD) in a tertiary care hospital. Antibiotics are crucial for treating infectious diseases and have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with infectious diseases, reducing morbidity and mortality. The aim of the study is to classify the antibiotic based on WHO AWaRe classification and compare their four-year consumption trends. The study was conducted at a tertiary care center, Pilakhuwa, Hapur. Antibiotic procurement data for a period of 4 years (2016-2019) was collected from the Central medical store.Methods: This is a retrospective time series analysis of systemic antibiotics with no intervention at patient level. Antibiotic procurement was taken as proxy for consumption assuming that same has been used. ATC for systemic use (ATC code J01) antibacterial was used and defined daily dose (DDD) per 100 bed days was calculated. Antibiotics were further classified as Access, Watch, and Reserve (WHO AWaRe classification). Antibiotics consumption was ranked based on their volume of DDD i.e., drug utilization (DU90%) was calculated. Non-parametric Pearson’s correlation coefficient was used for the comparison of consumption.Results: Mean antibiotic procurement increased 1.25 folds from 140.3 DDD in 2016 to 201 DDD in 2018. A significant fall was seen in total DDDs in year 2019 (p value &lt;0.05). A total of 41 antibiotics agents (Access 12, Watch 21, Reserve 6 and Not recommended 2) were procured. Reserve category antibiotics were procured from 2017 onwards. Out of 41 antibiotics procured 11 antibiotics (Access 3 and watch 8) accounted for DU 90%.Conclusions: Antibiotics consumption of watch group was high and increasing antibiotic consumption trend was observed. Hospital antimicrobial stewardship program should be implemented to shift to use of Access group antibiotics and restrict use of Watch antibiotics.

Current Status of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs in São Paulo Hospitals

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) consist of coordinated interventions designed to improve and measure appropriate antimicrobial use. Understanding the current structure of ASPs hospitals will support interventions for improvement or implementation of these programs. Objective: We aimed to describe the current status of ASP in hospitals in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional survey regarding ASP of hospitals in São Paulo state, Brazil, from March to July 2018. Through interviews by telephone or e-mail, we asked participants which components of IDSA/SHEA and CDC guidelines had been implemented. Results: The response rate was 30% (28 of 93 hospitals) and 26 of the hospitals (85%) reported having a formal ASP. Policies, practices, and strategies of surveyed ASP are detailed in Table 1. The most frequently implemented strategies were (1) antimicrobial surgical prophylaxis guideline (100%), (2) empiric sepsis guideline (93%), and (3) presence of ASP team member during bedside rounds (96%). The least commonly implemented strategies included prior authorization for all antimicrobials (11%), pharmacokinetic monitoring and adjustment program for patients on IV aminoglycosides (3%). Regarding metrics of the ASP, the most common indicator was the rates of antimicrobial resistance (77%). Overall, 18 hospitals (19%) used defined daily dose and only 29% used days of therapy. Moreover, 61% of hospitals reported their results to hospital the administration and 39% of hospitals reported their results to the prescribers. Conclusions: Most hospitals have a formal ASP, but there are opportunities for improvement. Future efforts should prioritize tracking and reporting ASP metrics.Funding: NoneDisclosures: None

Impact of a pharmacist-driven antimicrobial stewardship program in a private hospital in Costa Rica.

ABSTRACTObjective.To measure the impact generated by the implementation of the pharmacy-driven antimicrobial stewardship program of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital.Methods.This is a retrospective observational study that evaluates the consumption of antibiotics for the periods before and during implementation of the Clínica Bíblica Hospital antimicrobial stewardship program, calculated by means of defined daily dose per 1 000 patient-days and days of therapy per 1 000 patient-days. In addition, bacterial resistance patterns for the periods 2014–2015 and 2016–2017 were compared.Results.Consumption of most-used antibiotics was calculated, looking for trends that might be associated with the activities implemented by the Clínica Bíblica Hospital antimicrobial stewardship program. Comparing some of the antibiotics with the highest consumption in periods I and II, use of levofloxacin and ceftriaxone showed a decrease of 54.0% (p < 0.001) and 14.6% (p = 0.003), respectively, whereas there was an increase in the use of cefazolin of 4 539.3% (p < 0.001). Regarding percentage of bacterial resistance, in most bacterial isolates no statistically significant changes were observed between the two periods.Conclusions.A reduction in the overall consumption of antibiotics has been achieved over time, most likely attributable to the antimicrobial stewardship program. However, this trend was not observed for all the antibiotics studied. The pattern of resistance among the commonly isolated microorganisms did not vary greatly between the periods studied, which suggests that either the antimicrobial stewardship program may have prevented an increase in bacterial resistance since its implementation, or that it is too soon to see impact on bacterial resistance.

Antibiotic Stewardship for Nursing: Can E-Learning Be a First Step?

Background In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the Core Elements of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program guidelines. As part of the update, a greater emphasis is placed on the role of nurses in improving antibiotic stewardship (AS). Currently, there is minimal research that has looked at nurses’ attitudes/beliefs towards AS. Potential reasons could include lack of education about stewardship, poor communication among providers, hospital/unit culture, concern for additional work, and perception of it being not part of their scope of practice. The objectives of this project are to identify nurses’ true attitudes toward AS, to discover the usefulness of the modules, and to determine the effectiveness of the modules in changing nurses’ attitudes towards AS. Methods Three short eLearning modules (Antimicrobial Stewardship for Nursing, Pharmacy Topics for Nursing, and Laboratory Topics for Nursing) and a survey were developed for acute care hospital nurses. The nurses were asked to view the three eLearning modules and then complete an online survey. Twenty-eight nurses completed the survey. An analysis was done on the results. Results The results of the survey showed that eighty-two percent of nurses felt they should participate in AS work. Seventy-three percent felt more empowered to participate in AS discussions. One hundred percent said that the information could be used in their everyday work. Twenty-three percent wanted more education. Nurses cited lack of education (41%) and hospital/unit culture (27%) as barriers to participating in AS. Conclusions Although the sample size was small, the survey showed that the majority of nurses want to be a part of the AS team. The modules were effective in educating them and the results suggests that short eLearning modules may be a good first step in engaging nurses in AS. The study is ongoing. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention updated the Core Elements of Hospital Antimicrobial Stewardship Program guidelines. As part of the update, a greater emphasis is placed on the role of nurses in improving antibiotic stewardship (AS). Currently, there is minimal research that has looked at nurses’ attitudes/beliefs towards AS. Potential reasons could include lack of education about stewardship, poor communication among providers, hospital/unit culture, concern for additional work, and perception of it being not part of their scope of practice. The objectives of this project are to identify nurses’ true attitudes toward AS, to discover the usefulness of the modules, and to determine the effectiveness of the modules in changing nurses’ attitudes towards AS. Three short eLearning modules (Antimicrobial Stewardship for Nursing, Pharmacy Topics for Nursing, and Laboratory Topics for Nursing) and a survey were developed for acute care hospital nurses. The nurses were asked to view the three eLearning modules and then complete an online survey. Twenty-eight nurses completed the survey. An analysis was done on the results. The results of the survey showed that eighty-two percent of nurses felt they should participate in AS work. Seventy-three percent felt more empowered to participate in AS discussions. One hundred percent said that the information could be used in their everyday work. Twenty-three percent wanted more education. Nurses cited lack of education (41%) and hospital/unit culture (27%) as barriers to participating in AS. Although the sample size was small, the survey showed that the majority of nurses want to be a part of the AS team. The modules were effective in educating them and the results suggests that short eLearning modules may be a good first step in engaging nurses in AS. The study is ongoing.

The current state of antifungal stewardship among pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs.

To characterize the current state of antifungal stewardship practices and perceptions of antifungal use among pediatric antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs). We developed and distributed an electronic survey, which included 17 closed-ended questions about institutional antifungal stewardship practices and perceptions, among pediatric ASPs. ASP physicians and pharmacists of 74 hospitals participating in the multicenter Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship (SHARPS) Collaborative. We sent surveys to 74 hospitals and received 68 unique responses, for a response rate of 92%. Overall, 63 of 68 the respondent ASPs (93%) reported that they conduct 1 or more antifungal stewardship activities. Of these 68 hospital ASPs, 43 (63%) perform prospective audit and feedback (PAF) of antifungals. The most common reasons reported for not performing PAF of antifungals were not enough time or resources (19 of 25, 76%) and minimal institutional antifungal use (6 of 25, 24%). Also, 52 hospitals (76%) require preauthorization for 1 or more antifungal agents. The most commonly restricted antifungals were isavuconazole (42 of 52 hospitals, 80%) and posaconazole (39 of 52 hospitals, 75%). Furthermore, 33 ASPs (48%) agreed or strongly agreed that antifungals are inappropriately used at their institution, and only 25 of 68 (37%) of ASPs felt very confident making recommendations about antifungals. Most pediatric ASPs steward antifungals, but the strategies employed are highly variable across surveyed institutions. Although nearly half of respondents identified inappropriate antifungal use as a problem at their institution, most ASPs do not feel confident making recommendations about antifungals. Future studies are needed to determine the rate of inappropriate antifungal use and the best antifungal stewardship strategies.

Guidance for the management of adult patients with coronavirus disease 2019.

In December 2019, a novel coronavirus was identified in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China and later the disease was named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) officially announced that COVID-19 had reached global pandemic status. This article summarized the understanding of the etiology, pathogenesis, epidemiology, clinical characteristics, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and prevention and control measures of COVID-19 based on the available data and anti-epidemic experience in China.

Implementation status of antimicrobial stewardship programs in hospitals: A quantitative analysis study in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam

Vietnam has one of the highest multi drug resistance in Asia. Although, despite many efforts to implement the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (the ASP) since 2016, studies that on the implementation policy are very lacking of this program are limited. For that reason, we conducted this cross-sectional study to analyze the viewpoint of health workers (HWs) on the implementation of the ASP at some hospitals in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). An assessment of 234 HWs showed that the implementation of the ASP in HCMC hospitals was above average (62.7/100.0). A barrier to the implementation consisted of the deficiency in finances, guidelines for diagnosis, and specific interventions for some common infections, such as distributing current antibiogram and monitoring rate of Clostridioides difficile infections. These were the widely recognized problems in initially implementing the ASP. Although most HWs are aware of the importance of implementing the ASP (79.1%), the specific assessment has not been recorded clearly due to the numerous neutral responses. Despite the support of the leadership, the implementation still faces many difficulties and limitations, especially in 3rd and 4th class hospitals. Besides, there was a lack of wide dissemination of information on the ASP at each unit. To generalize the status of the ASP implementation, researchers should conduct qualitative and quantitative studies with a larger scale.

National Healthcare Safety Network Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratios (SAARs): A Progress Report and Risk Modeling Update Using 2017 Data.

The Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio (SAAR) is a risk-adjusted metric of antimicrobial use (AU) developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2015 as a tool for hospital antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) to track and compare AU with a national benchmark. In 2018, CDC updated the SAAR by expanding the locations and antimicrobial categories for which SAARs can be calculated and by modeling adult and pediatric locations separately. We identified eligible patient-care locations and defined SAAR antimicrobial categories. Predictive models were developed for eligible adult and pediatric patient-care locations using negative binomial regression applied to nationally aggregated AU data from locations reporting ≥9 months of 2017 data to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN). 2017 Baseline SAAR models were developed for 7 adult and 8 pediatric SAAR antimicrobial categories using data reported from 2156 adult and 170 pediatric locations across 457 hospitals. The inclusion of step-down units and general hematology-oncology units in adult 2017 baseline SAAR models and the addition of SAARs for narrow-spectrum B-lactam agents, antifungals predominantly used for invasive candidiasis, antibacterial agents posing the highest risk for Clostridioides difficile infection, and azithromycin (pediatrics only) expand the role SAARs can play in ASP efforts. Final risk-adjusted models are used to calculate predicted antimicrobial days, the denominator of the SAAR, for 40 SAAR types displayed in NHSN. SAARs can be used as a metric to prompt investigation into potential overuse or underuse of antimicrobials and to evaluate the effectiveness of ASP interventions.