Amanda L. Hurst

Handshake Stewardship: A Highly Effective Rounding-Based Antimicrobial Optimization Service.

Background: Implementation of an antimicrobial stewardship program is recommended as one solution to combat increasing antimicrobial resistance. Most antimicrobial stewardship programs use preauthorization or restrictive strategies recommended in national guidelines. We describe a unique, rounding-based strategy, handshake stewardship. Handshake stewardship is distinguished by: (1) lack of restriction and preauthorization, (2) review of all prescribed antimicrobials and (3) a rounding-based, in-person approach to feedback by a pharmacist–physician team. Methods: We retrospectively measured antimicrobial use hospital-wide and by unit during preimplementation, planning, and postimplementation phases of the handshake stewardship approach to determine the efficacy of this strategy in decreasing use in a freestanding children’s hospital. All antimicrobials prescribed on the inpatient services between October 2010 and September 2014 were included in the review. Monthly antimicrobial use (hospital-wide and by unit) was measured in days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 PD). Results: Overall antimicrobial use decreased by 10.9% during the 4 years of the analysis (942 to 839 DOT/1000 PD, P < 0.01), with an impact of 10.3% on antibacterials (750 to 673 DOT/1000 PD, P < 0.01). Vancomycin use decreased by 25.7% (105 to 78 DOT/1000 PD, P < 0.01). Meropenem use decreased by 22.2% (45 to 35 DOT/1000 PD, P = 0.04) without a compensatory increase of other antipseudomonal agents. Decreased usage was observed both hospital-wide and on individual units for most agents. Conclusions: The handshake stewardship approach is an effective strategy for an antimicrobial stewardship program, as demonstrated by the widespread and significant decrease in antimicrobial use after implementation.

Clinical Impact and Provider Acceptability of Real-Time Antimicrobial Stewardship Decision Support for Rapid Diagnostics in Children With Positive Blood Culture Results

Background Rapid diagnostic technologies for infectious diseases have the potential to improve clinical outcomes, but guideline-recommended antimicrobial stewardship (AS) strategies are not currently optimized for rapid intervention. We evaluated the clinical impact and provider acceptability of implementing real-time AS decision support for children with positive blood culture results according to the FilmArray blood culture identification panel (BCID [BioFire Diagnostics]) at Childrens Hospital Colorado. Methods A pre-post quasi-experimental design was used to compare the outcomes of 100 postintervention children with positive blood culture results matched with 200 preintervention control children. Causative organisms in the preintervention group were identified using conventional microbiologic techniques and communicated to providers by a microbiology technologist. Postintervention organisms were identified by the BCID and communicated by an AS provider in real time with interpretation and antimicrobial recommendations. The primary outcome was time to optimal antimicrobial therapy (time from blood culture collection to start of predetermined pathogen-specific regimen or antimicrobial discontinuation for contaminants) compared by a log-rank test and Kaplan-Meier analysis. Provider acceptability of the intervention was assessed via E-mailed surveys. Results The median time to optimal therapy decreased from 60.2 hours before intervention to 26.7 hours after intervention (P = .001). Among children with blood cultures that contained true pathogens, the time to effective antimicrobial therapy decreased from 6.9 to 3.4 hours (P = .03). Unnecessary antibiotic initiation for children with a culture that contained organisms considered to be contaminants decreased from 76% to 26% (P < .001). Providers reported a change in management as a result of BCID results in 73% of the cases and a mean overall satisfaction rating of 4.8 on a 5-point Likert scale. Conclusions Real-time AS decision support for rapid diagnostics is associated with improved antimicrobial use and high satisfaction ratings by providers.

A Handshake From Antimicrobial Stewardship Opens Doors for Infectious Disease Consultations

Implementation of a unique in-person pediatric antimicrobial stewardship program was associated with a significant increase in infectious disease consultations at a quaternary care childrens hospital. This study demonstrates that antimicrobial stewardship programs support, and do not compete with, infectious disease programs.

Pediatric appendicitis and need for antibiotics at time of discharge: Does route of administration matter?

INTRODUCTION Following complicated appendicitis, there are limited data available to guide the surgeon regarding antibiotic selection, specifically in regards to route of administration. We hypothesized that among children with appendicitis who are discharged home with antibiotic therapy, the post-discharge readmission and complication rates do not differ between those children who receive IV antibiotics and those who receive PO antibiotics. METHODS We performed a retrospective review of all children discharged home on antibiotics following appendectomy at a single institution between 11/10-10/14. We compared outcomes including ED and hospital readmission rates, and development of postoperative complications, between those children who were discharged on IV antibiotics and those discharged on PO antibiotics. RESULTS 325 children were discharged with antibiotics following appendectomy (n=291 PO antibiotics group; n=34 IV group). On both univariate and multivariate analysis, rate of each complication did not differ between the two groups including inpatient readmission (5% PO vs. 6% IV; p=0.8), ED readmission (10% vs. 11%; p=0.8), postdischarge complications related to the operation (10% vs. 15%; p=0.4), or abscess development post-discharge (4% vs. 3%; p=1). CONCLUSIONS Among children with complicated appendicitis who are discharged home with ongoing antibiotic therapy, our data demonstrate no differences in outcomes between those children who receive IV and PO antibiotics. Further data, collected in a prospective fashion, are needed to clarify the role of IV and PO antibiotics among children with perforated appendicitis.

Supra-therapeutic tacrolimus concentrations associated with concomitant nicardipine in pediatric liver transplant recipients

Tacrolimus is prescribed to prevent allograft rejection in pediatric liver transplant recipients; however, its metabolism through the cytochrome P‐450 enzyme system presents a multitude of challenges in regard to drug interactions. Here, we describe four children (ages 1.4–8.7 yr) who acutely developed supra‐therapeutic serum tacrolimus trough concentrations, despite standard dosing, while on concomitant nicardipine therapy following liver transplantation. Even though tacrolimus regimens were altered (dosage reductions and held doses), serum tacrolimus concentrations remained elevated. Resolution of high tacrolimus concentrations was achieved only after the discontinuation of nicardipine. Following the termination of nicardipine, all children eventually required dosage increases in their tacrolimus regimens to re‐achieve target serum concentrations. We conclude that concomitant use of tacrolimus and nicardipine can result in high tacrolimus concentrations due to the inhibition of cytochrome p450 enzymes responsible for the metabolism of tacrolimus. We encourage clinicians to consider alternative antihypertensive options in children on tacrolimus therapy. If nicardipine therapy is necessary, we recommend a 50% reduction in tacrolimus dose and daily serum concentration monitoring.

Once-Daily Ceftriaxone Plus Metronidazole Versus Ertapenem and/or Cefoxitin for Pediatric Appendicitis.

Background Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency in pediatric patients, and broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy is warranted in their care. A simplified once-daily regimen of ceftriaxone and metronidazole (CTX plus MTZ) is cost effective in perforated patients. The goal of this evaluation is to compare a historic regimen of cefoxitin (CFX) in nonperforated cases and ertapenem (ERT) in perforated and abscessed cases with CTX plus MTZ for all cases in terms of efficacy and cost. Methods A retrospective review compared outcomes of nonperforated, perforated, and abscessed cases who received the historic regimen or CTX plus MTZ. Length of stay, time to afebrile, time to full feeds, postoperative abscess, and wound infection rates, inpatient readmissions, and antibiotic costs were evaluated. Results There were a total of 841 cases reviewed (494 nonperforated, 247 perforated, and 100 abscessed). Overall, the CTX plus MTZ group had a shorter time to afebrile (P < .001). Treatment groups did not differ in length of stay. Postoperative abscess rates were similar between groups (4.1% vs 3.3%, not significant). Other postoperative complications were similar between groups. Total antibiotic cost savings were over

Management of Pediatric Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia

110 000 during the study period (from November 2010 to June 2013). Conclusions Both CFX and/or ERT and CTX plus MTZ result in low abscess and complication rates, suggesting both are effective strategies. Treatment with CTX plus MTZ results in a shorter time to afebrile, while also providing significant antibiotic cost savings. Ceftriaxone plus MTZ is a streamlined, cost-effective regimen in the treatment of nonperforated, perforated, and abscessed appendicitis.

Anti-infective Acquisition Costs for a Stewardship Program: Getting to the Bottom Line

1. Amanda I. Messinger, MD* 2. Oren Kupfer, MD* 3. Amanda Hurst, PharmD† 4. Sarah Parker, MD‡ 1. Divisions of *Pulmonary Medicine and 2. ‡Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver School of Medicine, Aurora, CO 3. †Department of Pharmacy, Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO * Abbreviations: CAP: : community-acquired pneumonia CT: : computed tomography IV: : intravenous MIC: : minimum inhibitory concentration MRSA: : methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus PCR: : polymerase chain reaction VATS: : video-assisted thorascopic surgery Management of pediatric community-acquired pneumonia should focus on judicious use of antimicrobial medications, bacterial diagnostics, and surgical drainage when complicated by large effusion and empyema. Treatment in adherence to national guidelines produces favorable outcomes. After completing this article, readers should be able to: 1. Reinforce rational antibiotic use for bacterial community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in outpatient and inpatient settings. 2. Review and update techniques for microbial diagnosis of CAP. 3. Review medical and surgical management of complicated pneumonia. 4. Present specific considerations for CAP in patients with neuromuscular disease. Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the most common cause of death in children worldwide, accounting for 15% of deaths in children younger than 5 years of age. (1) Nearly 1 in 500 children will be hospitalized for CAP, which creates a substantial economic burden. CAP is thus important to diagnose and appropriately treat. While viral causes of CAP are most common, differentiating viral versus bacterial etiologies can be difficult. This leads to excessive use of antimicrobial medications or susceptibility to feeling a pressure to prescribe. (2) Overall, in the United States, 11.4 million antimicrobial prescriptions for pediatric respiratory tract infections per year are avoidable. (3) Furthermore, broad-spectrum but less effective antimicrobial agents are often prescribed when pharmacokinetically favorable narrow-spectrum agents are available. (4) Arguably, the untoward effects of overtreatment of CAP in those in whom treatment is unwarranted compounds the morbidity of this disease process. Because of mounting knowledge of antimicrobial side effects, resistance, and microbiome effects, practitioners must adhere to the principles of judicious use when treating CAP. In this regard, CAP, its epidemiology, various etiologic origins, clinical presentations, and general diagnosis and treatment were …

Intervention and Acceptance Rates Support Handshake-Stewardship Strategy

Background Though antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are in place for patient safety, financial justification is often required. In 2016, the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommended that anti-infective costs be measured by patient-level administration data normalized for patient census. Few publications use this methodology. Here, we aim to compare 3 methods of drug cost analysis during 3 phases of an ASP as an example of this recommendations implementation. Methods At a freestanding pediatric hospital, we retrospectively assessed anti-infective cost using pharmacy purchasing data, patient-level administration data from the electronic medical record (EMR), and patient-level administration data from the Pediatric Hospital Information Systems (PHIS) database, all normalized to patient census. Costs pre-ASP, while planning the ASP, and post-ASP were then compared for each method. Results Significant differences in costs between the methods were observed. Pharmacy purchasing endorsed minimal financial benefit (decrease planning to post-ASP of

Experience with Continuous Infusion Vancomycin Dosing in a Large Pediatric Hospital

590 dollars per 1000 patient-days), while the EMR and PHIS data endorsed a decrease of