Large Italian Teaching Hospital Research Articles

Assessing the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Pregnant Women's Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccinations: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic has globally disrupted immunisation practices, impacting vulnerable populations such as pregnant women (PW), who harbour concerns about future children's immunisations. This study aimed to assess the pandemic's impact on PW's attitudes towards childhood vaccinations. During three consecutive flu seasons from October 2019 to January 2022, a cross-sectional study was conducted in a large Italian teaching hospital using a questionnaire. The chi-square test was performed to compare each season. Across the 2019-2020 to 2021-2022 seasons, course attendance by PW surged from 105 to 340. Significant shifts in vaccination intentions were noted, including a 7.5% decrease in measles vaccination intent (p = 0.02) and a 10% decrease in that of pertussis (p = 0.004) from 2019-2020 to 2020-2021. While perceived contagion risk decreased, disease severity perceptions increased, with few significant differences. A statistically significant reduction was noted in the proportion of participants suspecting economic motives behind NHS workers' promotion of childhood vaccinations. Furthermore, the pandemic period saw an increase in the perceived utility of non-institutional websites and the advice of physicians outside the NHS. These findings will help develop evidence-based, tailored interventions and communication strategies to address vaccine hesitancy and ensure optimal vaccination coverage among children born during and after the pandemic.

BNT162b2 COVID-19 Vaccine Safety among Healthcare Workers of a Tertiary Hospital in Italy.

Millions of people have died because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The vaccination campaign helped tackle the pandemic and saved millions of lives. In a retrospective pharmacovigilance study, we explored the safety of the BNT162b2 (Comirnaty) vaccine among healthcare workers (HCWs) in a large Italian teaching hospital, and 2428 Adverse Events Reports (AERs) filed by HCWs after the administration of the first dose of vaccine were collected and analyzed, reporting the results quantitively and comparing them to the vaccine Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC). Spearman's correlation coefficients were computed to investigate the correlation among reported adverse effects, and recurrent clusters of symptoms were investigated through the Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and k-means Cluster Analysis. The BNT162b2 vaccine's safety profile was favorable, with predominant reports of early onset, mild, non-serious and short-term resolved symptoms. We observed higher than the expected frequency for various non-serious undesirable effects, especially among those listed and classified as less common in the SPC. Furthermore, we identified three clusters of adverse effects that were frequently reported together, defined by the presence/absence of fatigue, malaise, localized pain, chills, pyrexia, insomnia, nausea and injection site pain. Post-marketing pharmacovigilance activities, together with targeted public health interventions, can be valuable tools to promote vaccination and improve the control of the spread of the pandemic, especially in sensitive settings and populations such as hospitals and healthcare professionals.

Impact of an empiric antimicrobial therapy manual on antimicrobial usage and multidrug resistant organism trends in a large Italian teaching hospital

SummaryAimTo evaluate the changes in antimicrobial consumption and multidrug-resistant microorganism trends after introducing an empiric antimicrobial therapy manual to support antimicrobial stewardship.MethodsA 4-year prospective interventional study assessed the effect of introducing an empiric antimicrobial therapy manual in medical and surgical wards during two periods: pre-intervention period (January 2015–May 2017) and post-intervention period (June 2017–December 2019). Outcomes included microorganism trends of bloodstream infections (BSI) for Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing bacteria (KPC), extended spectrum beta-lactamase ESBL-E. coli, meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Candida albicans. Also, Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) episodes were included. Rates were normalised per 1000 patient-days (PD). Antimicrobial consumption was assessed as defined daily dose (DDD)/1000 PD in interrupted time series analysis.ResultsIn medical wards, we observed a significant decrease in the consumption of piperacillin-tazobactam and a decrease in the trends of tigecycline and vancomycin consumption. In surgical wards, there was a significant decrease in consumption of fluoroquinolones and piperacillin-tazobactam. This decrease was maintained in trend for all the antimicrobials but was significant for tigecycline only. In medical wards, there was a significant reduction of MRSA and C. albicans. In surgical wards, we observed a decrease in MRSA, ESBL-E. coli, C. albicans and CDI. KPC cases decreased by 22.5% in medical wards and 74.3% in surgical wards.ConclusionThe results suggest that a persuasive educational approach to antimicrobial stewardship, with the introduction of an empiric antimicrobial manual and continuous education, resulted in reductions in both antimicrobial use and healthcare-associated BSI caused by multidrug-resistant organisms. More studies with longer follow up are needed to investigate the effect of antimicrobial stewardship on clinical outcomes.

Safety surveillance after BNT162b2 mRNA COVID-19 vaccination: results from a cross-sectional survey among staff of a large Italian teaching hospital.

Background and aim:Comirnaty® was the first COVID-19 vaccine available for the vaccination campaign of healthcare workers in Italy. With the aim of assessing vaccine safety, we conducted a cross-sectional survey administrating a voluntary-based questionnaire on adverse events following immunisation (AEFIs) in San Raffaele Hospital, Milano, Italy.Methods:From 4th January 2021 to 27th April 2021, we collected 2,659 questionnaires (response rate: 24,5%). We analyzed data, reporting AEFIs by gender, age, self-reported severity, type, time of insurgence and duration, and estimating relative-risk ratios (RRR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI).Results:The most reported symptoms were injection site pain, fatigue, headache, myalgia, chills, fever, and arthralgia. Severe systemic reactions were more frequent after receiving the second dose (RRR 6.25, 95% CI 4.57-8.55), in women (RRR 3.33, 95% CI 2.30-4.82), and less frequent in individuals aged 60 or more (RRR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14-0.49). In addition, we noted a wide range of adverse events of special interest (AESIs).Conclusions:Consistently with clinical trials and pharmacovigilance surveillance, AEFIs were frequent, but severe ones were uncommon, supporting the massive implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination campaign and providing valuable data for a risk profiling of vaccinees. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Seroprevalence for vaccine-preventable diseases among Italian healthcare workers

ABSTRACT Healthcare workers (HCWs) have an increased risk to be exposed to infectious diseases compared to the general population. For this reason, according to the National Immunization and Prevention Plan, all HCWs should have demonstrable evidence of immunity to measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and Hepatitis B. Earlier studies have already shown that a large percentage of Italian operators lacked immune protection for one or more of those pathogens. The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunization status for vaccine-preventable diseases of HCWs in a large Italian teaching hospital. We retrospectively evaluated clinical records and serological data of HCWs who followed the occupational health surveillance program between January 1 and December 31 2019. We reviewed the clinical records of 1,017 HCWs: 393 males and 624 females with a median age of 35.69 y (range: 19–67). Protective IgG antibody values were documented in the 88.0%, 75.7%, 90.3%, 87.4% and 85.7% of the HCWs screened, respectively, against measles, mumps, rubella, varicella and Hepatitis B. Age was significantly related to serological protection against measles, mumps and varicella but was not significantly related to protective IgG levels for rubella and HBV. Female gender was significantly related to a higher protection rate against Hepatitis B (87.8 vs 82.4%; p < .01) whereas males were significantly more protected against varicella (92–4 vs 84.1%; p < .01). Our study shows suboptimal levels of protection among Italian HCWs and a consequent increased risk of infection for them and their patients. Public health policies should be focused on improving preventive strategies, including serological screening and workplace vaccination of nonimmune individuals.

Multidrug-resistant organism infections and mortality: estimates from a large Italian hospital

Abstract Background Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) are one of the most critical public health concerns, particularly in hospital settings. Nearly 8% of hospitalized patients develop healthcare-associated infections (HAI), 20% of which is caused by MDRO. Aim of the study was to estimate nosocomial infection-associated in-hospital mortality, by different MDRO, in a large Italian teaching hospital. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study on patients hospitalized at San Raffaele Hospital, Milan, from 2016 to 2018. Two existing datasets were merged: hospital discharge records and MDRO surveillance data. Exposure was defined as any HAI caused by MDRO, and main outcome variable was in-hospital mortality from all causes. Results A total of 78,795 patients were studied (mean age 59.3 y, age range 18-105 y). 1,345 patients with at least one MDRO had mean age of 68 y, mean length of stay (LOS) of 32.8 days and mean DRG weight of 3.8. 77,450 patients without MDRO isolation had mean age of 59 y, mean LOS of 7.2 days and mean DRG weight of 1.6. Risk of in-hospital mortality is 3.4 times higher in patients with at least one MDRO isolation (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.8-4.2). Enterococci (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.1-6.3), A. baumannii (OR 3.5; 95% CI 1.4-8.6), P. aeruginosa (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.8-4.2), MRSA (OR 3.4; 95% CI 2.1-5.4), ESBL-producing (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.4-2.7) and carbapenem-resistant bacteria (OR 3.8; 95% CI 2.5-5.7), and carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae (OR 5.5; 95% CI 3.2-9.2) isolations were risk factors for nosocomial mortality. Conclusions Patients with MDRO isolations were older, more complex and had 5 times longer LOS than ones without MDRO. Deceased patients were 18% among MDRO cohort against only 2% among others. Bacteria included in WHO list of priority pathogens with antibiotic resistance were associated with a significantly higher risk of death. These results prove the urgency of controlling MDROs' spread that threatens global public health and available treatments of infections. Key messages Nosocomial MDRO isolation is a significant risk factor for in-hospital mortality from all causes. Infection prevention and control measures, and antibiotic stewardship are key strategies in order to prevent MDRO transmission and HAI, AR spreading and their burden of related deaths.

COVID-19: knowledge and attitudes of hospital staff of a large Italian teaching hospital

BackgroundDuring infectious disease emergencies, fully aware healthcare workers (HCWs) and public services staff are unique resources to keep health systems active and tackle epidemics. Aim of the study was to assess concern, general and health-related knowledge (case management and Infection Prevention and Control [IPC] measures) among hospital staff on SARS-CoV-2 in Lombardy region (Italy).MethodsOne week after WHO declared COVID-19 a public health emergency we developed and online administered a 7-item questionnaire to all staff of San Raffaele Hospital, a referral and teaching hospital in Milan, exploring knowledge and attitudes on COVID-19. The survey remained accessible online for 72 hours.ResultsA total of 2,046, including HCWs and other staff, answered the survey (response rate 25%). Among the 2,027 responders included in the analysis, 1,102 were HCWs (54%), also in training, and 924 non-HCWs (46%). 60% of responders reported being worried or extremely worried about the epidemic. Concerning knowledge, the survey asked about modes of transmission, clinical forms, preventive measures in everyday life in Italy and cough etiquette. There were uniform trends in the two groups: HCWs were more aware and answered more properly (mean of correct answers 71,6%) than non-HCWs (mean 61,2%). HCWs were asked about IPC precautions, with only 41% providing correct answers, while over 74% knew only supportive therapy is currently available against COVID-19.ConclusionsWe were among the first to explore hospital staff knowledge on COVID-19 reporting data from a large study population. HCWs were slightly less concerned but more knowledgeable than general staff. Last questions showed that among HCWs there is generally good knowledge on the topic. However, most of the responders missed the recommendations to adopt simultaneously standard, contact and airborne precautions plus eye protection managing suspected and confirmed cases, as proposed by national and international authorities.Key messages During the ongoing emergency, it is of utmost importance that hospital staff is adequately trained to implement the best IPC measures and limit the spread of the infection.Our data can inform planning of these preventive measures.

2019-novel coronavirus survey: knowledge and attitudes of hospital staff of a large Italian teaching hospital.

One week after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak a global health emergency we conducted a survey to explore knowledge and attitudes on 2019-nCoV, recently renamed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), in a large cohort of hospital staff. A representative sample of 2,046 hospital staff of a large university hospital in northern Italy (54% healthcare workers and 46% administrative staff, overall response rate: 25%) was administered an online questionnaire: overall there is good knowledge on 2019-nCoV control measures. The mean of correct answers for questions on general aspects of 2019-nCoV epidemic was 71.6% for HCWs and 61.2% for non-HCWs. The mean of correct answers for questions on 2019-nCoV patient management was 57.8% among HCWs. Nevertheless, on recommended precautions, also among healthcare workers there is still much to do in order to promote effective control measures and correct preventive behaviours at the individual level.

Flu vaccination coverage in a large Italian teaching hospital: the example of the leaders

Abstract Annual flu vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is recommended to prevent influenza and to avoid its transmission especially to frail patients. In our teaching hospital, flu vaccination rate among HCWs has been growing during last 3 years. The aim of this study was therefore to describe the flu vaccination coverage across the past 3 years and to analyze which factors lead to such increase. We performed a cross-sectional study on all HCWs of Fondazione Policlinico Universitario “A. Gemelli” (FPG) hospital of Rome (Italy) to determine the flu vaccination coverage. Socio-demographic and occupational data were collected from hospital personnel records and included age, gender, previous flu vaccination, profession and workplace unit. On site vaccination plus academic detailing involving leaders have been the main strategies adopted in this last 3 years that have already proved to be effective in increasing vaccination coverage among HCWs. During the 2018-2019 season, we analyzed how the flu vaccination coverage among leaders (nurse coordinators and head physicians) could affect all HCWs coverage rate. Flu vaccination rate increased from 9.57% in the 2016-17 to 14.24% in the 2017-18 and to 22.38% in 2018-2019. A total of 4035 HCWs employed in the FPG were included in 2018-19. Concerning the role played by vaccination of leaders in increasing general vaccination coverage during the 2018-2019, the group of HCWs with a vaccinated leader showed a higher coverage rate (28.65%) than the group with a non-vaccinated leader (16.22%) (p &amp;lt; 0.0001). The results are preliminary. Flu vaccination coverage of HCWs in our hospital during the last 3 years has been increasingly higher. Vaccination of the leaders, in addition to previously implemented effective strategies, resulted to be a key factor in increasing flu vaccination coverage among all HCWs. Socio-demographic and occupational variables can significantly influence the coverage rate as well. Key messages Annual flu vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is recommended to prevent influenza and to avoid its transmission especially to frail patients. This study shows the growing flu vaccination coverage rate in our teaching hospital and the effectiveness of the example given by the vaccinated leaders in increasing the coverage among all HCWs.

Cost of Sickness Absenteeism during Seasonal Influenza Outbreaks of Medium Intensity among Health Care Workers.

This study aims to estimate the economic costs of sickness absenteeism of health care workers in a large Italian teaching hospital during the seasonal flu periods. A retrospective observational study was performed. The excess data of hospital’s sickness absenteeism during three seasonal influenza periods (2010/2011; 2011/2012; 2012/2013) came from a previous study. The cost of sickness absenteeism was calculated for six job categories: medical doctor, technical executive (i.e., pharmacists); nurses and allied health professionals (i.e., radiographer), other executives (i.e., engineer), non-medical support staff, and administrative staff, and for four age ranges: <39, 40–49, 50–59, and >59 years. An average of 5401 employees working each year were under study. There were over 11,100 working days/year lost associated with an influenza period in Italy, the costs associated were approximately 1.7 million euros, and the average work loss was valued at € 327/person. The major shares of cost appeared related to nurses and allied health professionals (45% of total costs). The highest costs for working days lost were reported in the 40–49 age range, accounting for 37% of total costs. Due to the substantial economic burden of sickness absenteeism, there are clear benefits to be gained from the effective prevention of the influenza.

Factors influencing flu vaccination in a large Italian teaching hospital

Factors influencing flu vaccination in a large Italian teaching hospital

Pregnancy and neonatal outcomes among a cohort of HIV-infected women in a large Italian teaching hospital: a 30-year retrospective study.

The primary study objective was to investigate three decades from 1985 to 2014 of changes in pregnancies among HIV-infected women. The secondary objective was to assess risk factors associated with preterm delivery and severe small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infants in HIV-infected women. A retrospective review of deliveries among pregnant HIV-infected women at the University of Genoa and IRCCS San Martino-IST in Genoa between 1985 and 2014 was performed. Univariate and multivariable analyses were used to study the variables associated with neonatal outcomes. Overall, 262 deliveries were included in the study. An increase in median age (26 years in 1985-1994 vs. 34 years in 2005-2014), in the proportion of foreigners (none in 1985-1994 vs. 27/70 (38·6%) in 2005-2014), and a decrease in intravenous drug use (75·2% (91/121) in 1985-1994 vs. 12·9% (9/70) in 2005-2014) among pregnant HIV-infected women was observed. Progressively, HIV infections were diagnosed sooner (prior to pregnancy in 80% (56/70) of women in the last decade). An increase in combined antiretroviral therapy (cART) prescription during pregnancy (50% (27/54) in 1995-2004 vs. 92·2% (59/64) in 2005-2014) and in HIV-RNA <50 copies/ml at delivery (19·2% (5/26) in 1995-2004 vs. 82·3% (53/64) in 2005-2014) was observed. The rate of elective caesarean section from 1985 to 1994 was 9·1%, which increased to 92·3% from 2004 to 2015. Twelve (10·1%) mother-to-child transmissions (MTCT) occurred in the first decade, and six (8·3%) cases occurred in the second decade, the last of which was in 2000. Preterm delivery (<37 weeks gestation) was 5% (6/121) from 1985 to 1994 and increased to 17·1% (12/70) from 2005 to 2014. In univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses, advancing maternal age and previous pregnancies were associated with preterm delivery (odds ratio (OR) 2·7; 95% confidence intervals (CI) 1-7·8 and OR 2·6; 95% CI 1·1-6·7, respectively). In the logistic regression analysis, use of heroin or methadone was found to be the only risk factor for severe SGA (OR 3·1; 95% CI 1·4-6·8). In conclusion, significant changes in demographic, clinical and therapeutic characteristics of HIV-infected pregnant women have occurred over the last 30 years. Since 2000, MTCT has decreased to zero. An increased risk of preterm delivery was found to be associated with advancing maternal age and previous pregnancies but not with cART. The use of heroin or methadone has been confirmed as a risk factor associated with severe SGA.

Clostridium difficile PCR Ribotype 018, a Successful Epidemic Genotype.

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) became a public health problem for the global spreading of the so-called hypervirulent PCR ribotypes (RTs) 027 and 078, associated with increases in the transmission and severity of the disease. However, especially in Europe, several RTs are prevalent, and the concept of hypervirulence is currently debated. We investigated the toxin and resistance profiles and the genetic relatedness of 312 C. difficile strains isolated in a large Italian teaching hospital during a 5-year period. We evaluated the role of CDI-related antibiotic consumption and infection control practices on the RT predominance in association with their molecular features and transmission capacity. Excluding secondary cases due to nosocomial transmission, RT018 was the predominant genotype (42.4%) followed by RT078 (13.6%), while RT027 accounted for 0.8% of the strains. RT078 was most frequently isolated from patients in intensive care units. Its prevalence significantly increased over time, but its transmission capacity was very low. In contrast, RT018 was highly transmissible and accounted for 95.7% of the secondary cases. Patients with the RT018 genotype were significantly older than those with RT078 and other RTs, indicating an association between epidemic RT and age. We provide here the first epidemiological evidence to consider RT018 as a successful epidemic genotype that deserves more attention in clinical practice.

Epidemiology and antibiotic resistance in a large Italian teaching hospital

We focused our attention on susceptibility profile of Acinetobacter spp., Pseudomonas spp., and Klebsiella spp. isolated from biological specimens at the University Hospital of Salerno between June 2011 and October 2012.Acinetobacter, with a prevalence of Acinetobacter baumannii (97%) presented a high range of resistance to the antimicrobials considered, excluding colistin (COL). Klebsiella spp. isolates, with a prevalence of Klebsiella pneumoniae (90%), presented a variable pattern of resistance [from 9·8% for COL to 50% for levofloxacin (LEV)]. Extended-spectrum beta-lactamases production was detected in 15% of isolates. Most Pseudomonas isolates were P. aeruginosa with a high rate of resistance (95% to amoxicillin/clavulanate and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and <50% to the other antibiotics). Colistin remained the most effective drug tested.This study provided useful information of the local bacterial epidemiology hopefully permitting to establish a more effective empirical therapy, preventing the inappropriate use of antibacterial agents and possibly limiting the diffusion of antibacterial resistance.

Factors associated with nurses’ opinions and practices regarding information and consent

This cross-sectional survey aimed to investigate nurses' opinions and practices regarding information and consent in the context of a large Italian teaching hospital and to explore potential influences of gender, age, university education, length of professional experience, and care setting. A questionnaire was administered to 282 nurses from six different care settings (Emergency Room, Emergency Medicine, Surgery, Hematology-Oncology, Geriatrics, and Internal Medicine). Overall, 84% (n = 237) of nurses returned the questionnaire (men: 24%; mean age: 36.2 ± 8 years; university degree: 35%; mean length of professional experience: 12 ± 8.2 years). Most respondents regularly informed patients about medications and nursing procedures and asked for consent prior to invasive procedures, but some provided information to relatives instead of patients. Lack of time or opportunity was the main difficulty in informing patients. The work setting was the foremost factor significantly associated with participants' opinions and practices. Further investigations are needed to confirm these findings in similar and other care settings.

Pediatric Residents and Interns in an Italian Hospital Perform Improved Bibliographic Searches when Assisted by a Biomedical Librarian

A Review of:&#x0D; Gardois, P., Calabrese, R., Colombi, N., Lingua, C., Longo, F., Villanacci, M., Miniero, R., &amp; Piga, A. (2011). Effectiveness of bibliographic searches performed by paediatric residents and interns assisted by librarian. A randomised controlled trial. Health Information and Libraries Journal, 28(4), 273-284. doi: 10.1111/j.1471-1842.2011.00957.x &#x0D; &#x0D; Objective – To establish whether the assistance of an experienced biomedical librarian delivers an improvement in the searching of bibliographic databases as performed by medical residents and interns.&#x0D; &#x0D; Design – Randomized controlled trial.&#x0D; &#x0D; Setting – The pediatrics department of a large Italian teaching hospital.&#x0D; &#x0D; Subjects – 18 pediatric residents and interns.&#x0D; &#x0D; Methods – 23 residents and interns from the pediatrics department of a large Italian teaching hospital were invited to participate in this study, of which 18 agreed. Subjects were then randomized into two groups and asked to spend between 30 and 90 minutes searching bibliographic databases for evidence to answer a real-life clinical question which was randomly allocated to them. Each member of the intervention group was provided with an experienced biomedical librarian to provide assistance throughout the search session. The control group received no assistance. The outcome of the search was then measured using an assessment tool adapted for the purpose of this study from the Fresno test of competence in evidence based medicine. This adapted assessment tool rated the “global success” of the search and included criteria such as appropriate question formulation, number of PICO terms translated into search terms, use of Boolean logic, use of subject headings, use of filters, use of limits, and the percentage of citations retrieved that matched a gold standard set of citations found in a prior search by two librarians (who were not involved in assisting the subjects) together with an expert clinician.&#x0D; &#x0D; Main Results – The intervention group scored a median average of 73.6 points out of a possible 100, compared with the control group which scored 50.4. The difference of 23.2 points in favour of the librarian assisted group was a statistically significant result (p value = 0.013) with a 95% confidence interval of between 4.8 and 33.2. &#x0D; &#x0D; Conclusion – This study presents credible evidence that assistance provided by an experienced biomedical librarian improves the quality of the bibliographic database searches performed by residents and interns using real-life clinical scenarios.

Perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis: improved compliance and impact on infection rates

The aims of this study were to determine adherence to the perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) protocol used at a large Italian teaching hospital during a 6-year period, to assess the variables associated with inappropriate administration, and to measure the impact on surgical site infection (SSI) rates. There were 28 621 patients surveyed of which 74·6% received PAP. An improvement in adherence to the PAP protocol was registered for 58·8% of patients. Significant risk factors were an American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score ≥ 2 [odds ratios (OR) from 1·28 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1·19-1·37) to 1·87 (95% CI 1·43-2·44)], prolonged duration of surgery (OR 1·68, 95% CI 1·56-1·82) and urgent surgery (OR 2·16, 95% CI 1·96-2·37). During the study period, a significant reduction in SSIs rates was detected. We concluded that the global reduction of inadequate PAP administration signifies the efficacy of a multidisciplinary quality improvement initiative on antimicrobial utilization, and this is supported by the observed reduction of the SSI rate.

A 2-Year Survey of Bacteriologic Profile and Antimicrobial Susceptibility Levels of Enterococci in a Large Italian Teaching Hospital

Background: Antimicrobial susceptibility levels of enterococci (including those to glycopeptides) are borne by a broad range of variations, due to the numerous involved variables. Methods: To assess the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance profile of enterococci identified in all clinical specimens cultured at the bacteriology laboratory of a large Italian teaching hospital in a 2-year period, with special attention deserved to differences between Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium and the role of novel compounds effective on multiresistant gram-positive cocci (dalfopristin-quinupristin, linezolid, and levofloxacin), 4628 E. faecalis strains and 648 E. faecium isolates were examined. Results: Compared with the year 2000, during the year 2001, a proportional increase of E. faecium isolates was found opposed to E. faecalis (P < 0.0001), associated with a greater involvement of cardiovascular (P < 0.0001), intra-abdominal (P < 0.0001), and genital tract (P < 0.003). When considering the in vitro susceptibility pattern, E. faecalis proved more sensitive to penicillin, ampicillin, and amoxicillin, and also to nitrofurantoin, levofloxacin, and streptomycin (P < 0.0001). On the other hand, E. faecium had a significantly more elevated susceptibility to gentamicin and dalfopristin-quinupristin (P < 0.0001). Tetracyclines showed a comparable activity against E. faecalis and E. faecium (around 30% of tested strains), as well as linezolid (nearly 99%) and glycopeptides-these last drugs, together with linezolid, showed the greatest activity against enterococci as a whole, as only 2 E. faecalis strains recovered from urine were resistant (0.04% of the 4628 tested strains), and all the 648 E. faecium isolates were susceptible to both teicoplanin and vancomycin. When comparing antimicrobial susceptibility levels, no significant difference was found between years 2000 and 2001, when excluding a slight increase of sensitivity to penicillin, ureidopenicillins, gentamicin, streptomycin, nitrofurantoin, and linezolid for E. faecalis, and penicillin, tetracyclines, and linezolid for E. faecium. Discussion: Our experience of microbiologic monitoring conducted on over 5000 Enterococcus spp. strains evaluated during 24 months pointed out an increased amount of isolates in the year 2001, especially involving E. faecium. The in vitro susceptibility studies confirmed a significantly different profile of E. faecalis opposed to E. faecium. When E. faecalis is of concern, penicillin and ureidopenicillins are still highly effective, but are not in the case of E. faecium, an emerging pathogen in our experience. The maintained in vitro efficacy of nitrofurantoin, gentamicin, and streptomycin is of particular interest. Among recently introduced molecules, linezolid proves effective against around 99% of examined strains, including multiresistant E. faecium isolates. On the other hand, dalfopristin-quinupristin and levofloxacin are characterized by a significantly greater activity against E. faecium and E. faecalis, respectively. Glycopeptides showed lower resistance levels compared with most of literature series and therefore remain the reference compounds for the entire Enterococcus spp., especially when multiresistant baterial strains are of concern. A permanent surveillance of the epidemiology of these organisms in both hospital-acquired and community-acquired infections, the assessment of specific risk factors, the evolution of antibiotic sensitivity levels, and eventual consequences on morbidity and mortality rates are the mainstay of adequate programs of control and prevention. The initial spread of resistance against recently available molecules (last-generation quinolones, streptogramines, and linezolid) recommends a prudent exploitation of older therapeutic resources, which remain effective against most enterococci.

The effect of formulary restriction in the use of antibiotics in an Italian hospital.

To compare the expenditure and usage of antibiotics at the San Martino Teaching Hospital, a 2500-bed hospital in Genoa, Italy, before and after the implementation of an antibiotic control program that streamlined the hospital formulary and the creation of a restricted group of antibiotics requiring approval before use. Usage and expenditure data for all antibiotics were collected from 1996 to 1998. Antibiotic usage was standardised by defined daily doses (DDDs) per 100/patient-days. Cost data were expressed in Euros. Changes in antibiotic usage was determined by comparing the mean usage during 1996 and 1997, the period before the implementation of the antibiotic control program, to 1998 when the streamlined formulary and restricted group of antibiotics, controlled by the Infectious Disease Team (IDT). were initiated. The Wilcoxon rank sign test was used to determine statistical significance of the changes in overall antibiotic use; a P value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. After the implementation of the antibiotic control program, overall antibiotic usage decreased by 8.5%, 28.00 DDD/100 patient-days during 1996-1997 to 25.62 DDD/100 patient-days during 1998. The control program resulted in overall savings of 342,927 Euros after the first year of implementation. The usage and expenditure in the restricted group of antibiotics decreased by 78.5% and 53.5%, respectively, (P=0.03). Restricting the use of ceftazidime and imipenem accounted for the majority of the decreased usage and savings. In the non-restricted group of antibiotics, usage increased only by 32.6% resulting in a net reduction of 46.3% in all antibiotic use. Although antibiotic control programs have been successful in other countries, this represents the first attempt at successful antibiotic control in a large Italian teaching hospital. Streamlining the formulary to control antibiotic choices and the creation of a restriction program using the expertise of infectious disease physicians resulted in significant reductions in the use of and expenditure for antibiotics.