Search

Background/Objectives: Antibiotic indication documentation at the time of order entry is mandated by the Joint Commission. Inclusion of indication at order entry may have an impact on the time to administration. Our primary objective was to evaluate agreement between indication selected during order entry and clinical notes. Our secondary objective was to observe if there was a change in time to administration after indications were required during order entry. Methods: Patients ≤18 years old who received ≥1 dose of vancomycin or ceftriaxone during a preintervention period and 3 postintervention periods were included. Indication for use, agreement between order and clinical note, and timing of antibiotic administration were collected. Results: Most common indication for vancomycin (total: 789) was sepsis (26%, n = 204). Common indications for ceftriaxone (total: 1071) were sepsis (12%, n = 127), perforated appendicitis (12%, n = 125), and urinary tract infection (10%, n = 107). Postintervention, agreement between the indication selected during order entry and indication documented in clinical note for ceftriaxone and vancomycin orders were 41% and 46%, respectively. Median time to administration decreased among patients who received ceftriaxone (P <.01) but had no significant impact on time to administration of vancomycin (P =.49). Conclusions: Indication for ceftriaxone and vancomycin selected during order entry and reported in clinical notes inconsistently matched. Inclusion of antibiotic indication may impact time to administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes a case series of 11 children identified to be infected with linezolid-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (LRSA), who all suffer from cystic fibrosis. Topics discussed include what linezolid is, the causes of cystic fibrosis, and the common risks for the development of antimicrobial resistance, such as prolonged exposure and suboptimal dosing. It also mentions the two major mechanisms of resistance to linezolid.

Children presenting to an emergency department following an animal bite were found to be at risk for infection if they had puncture wounds, crush wounds, or were bitten by a cat. Of the infected wounds that were cultured, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus was not isolated as a pathogen. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background The rise of antimicrobial resistance among gram-negative (GN) pathogens has been dramatic nationally. Delayed initiation of active antimicrobial agents has been associated with poor outcomes. We aimed at evaluating the prevalence and treatment of multi-drug-resistant gram-negative (MDR-GN) bacteremia in our pediatric patients. Methods All episodes of GN bacteremia from 2017–2018 at our institution were retrospectively reviewed. GN defined as MDR in our study were carbapenem-resistant organisms (CRO), extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) producers, and GN that were resistant to cefepime and ≥2 classes of non-cephalosporin antimicrobial agents. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was excluded. Ineffective empirical treatment (IET) is defined as an initial antibiotic regimen that is not active against the identified pathogen[s] based on in vitro susceptibility testing results. Results A total of 292 episodes of GN bacteremia were identified and 6 S. maltophilia were excluded. Of these, 29 bacteremic episodes in 26 patients were caused by MDR-GN organisms including 18 ESBL, 7 CRO, 1 ESBL and CRO, 3 non-ESBL/non-CRO cefepime-resistant MDR-GN. None of the CRO had carbapenemase genes detected. However, there was a patient with multiple sites of infection simultaneously with non-NDM CR Acinetobacter bacteremia and NDM-mediated CR- Klebsiella ventriculitis. The annual rate of MDR-GN bacteremia increased from 8% in 2017 to 12% in 2018. Almost half (48%) of episodes were community onset. Among these, all but one had underlying medical conditions with hospital exposure and most patients had central venous devices at the time of infection. 52% (15/29) episodes of MDR-GN bacteremia had IET. Despite IET, 47% (7/15) had negative blood cultures prior to initiation of effective therapy (6 ESBL and 1 P. aeruginosa). Various antibiotic regimens were used for CRO therapy as shown in Table 1. Conclusion In our institution, MDR-GN infection is increasing. As such, empiric meropenem is currently recommended in BMT or neutropenic patients with suspected sepsis. However, empiric meropenem must be used judiciously as its widely use will lead to more selection of MDR pathogens. It is essential to continue monitoring of these MDR-GN to guide appropriate empiric regimens. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There has been an increase in antimicrobial resistance among GN pathogens, not only in adults, but also pediatrics. UTIs are common in pediatrics; however, reports of pediatric UTI with ESBL producing GN are limited. Methods All urine cultures positive for ESBL producing GN from 5/1/18 to December 31/18 were retrospectively reviewed. Proven infection (PI) defined as ≥50,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL of bacteria plus pyuria or positive leukocyte esterase for catheterized or clean catch specimens. Relapsed infection defined as same pathogen cultured within 30 days of infection. Abnormal urinary tract systems or functions (AUTS) include neurogenic bladder, structural anomalies, or intermittent catheterization. Results A total of 107 urine cultures for ESBL producing GN, from 85 patients, were included. Majority of specimens [78/107 (73%)] were obtained from the ED or outpatient clinics. 43% of specimens were from patients with AUTS. E. coli was the majority (95%) of ESBL isolates. 57% of ESBL producing GNs were susceptible to amoxicillin/clavulanate (AC) or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX). 88% were nitrofurantoin susceptible. Only 1 isolate was meropenem resistant. Antibiotics (ABX) were prescribed for UTI in 67/107 episodes. However, only 52 episodes were PI. Of these, 38 were empirically treated with oral ABX and 29 with intravenous ABX. The most commonly prescribed empiric ABX was oral cephalexin (25/67, 37%.) Ineffective empiric ABX for UTI was very common, 83% (43/52). Of these, 5/43 never received effective therapy and none had relapse. Most common duration of ABX was 10 days (range 5–17 days.) 43% (23/52) of PI were treated with oral AC or TMP/SMX. 15% (8/52) of PI were treated with nitrofurantoin. 12% of PI were treated with a once-daily aminoglycoside. Only 6% of PI were treated with a carbapenem. Conclusion Many ESBL UTI isolates remain susceptible to oral ABX. Although small numbers, patients treated with ineffective ABX did not return with relapsed infection. Non-carbapenem ABX are a reasonable option to minimize selective pressure or unnecessary use. Empiric narrow-spectrum antibiotic therapy may still be appropriate. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Isavuconazole (ISZ), dosed as the pre-drug isavuconazonium (ISM), is active against a wide variety of clinically important fungal pathogens. ISM is approved for the treatment of invasive aspergillosis and mucormycosis in adults ≥18 years of age. We present our experience with ISM to treat proven or to prevent fungal infection in pediatric patients. Methods In a retrospective review of patients who received ISM at our institution between April 2016 and April 2019, we abstracted demographic information, primary diagnosis, indication for ISM therapy, ISZ serum concentrations if available, and outcomes. Results Of 16 patients who received ISM, 12 were < 18 years of age (range 6–17 years). Underlying conditions included leukemia (n = 8), lymphoma (n = 1), post BMT (n = 1), diabetes (n = 1), and cardiac transplant (n = 1). Nine (75%) had proven invasive fungal infection with aspergillosis (n = 2), zygomycosis (n = 3), mixed aspergillosis and zygomycosis (n = 2), mixed Rhizopus and Scedosporium (n = 1), and pathology only (n = 1). Five of these 9 patients received combination ISM and liposomal amphotericin initially, followed by monotherapy with ISM in 4 patients after a mean of 26 days (range 6–63), and continued dual therapy in the fifth. The other 4 received liposomal amphotericin with or without other azoles prior to changing to ISM monotherapy. ISM dosing was 10 mg/kg q8h on days 1 and 2, followed by q24 thereafter, up to a maximum of 372 mg/dose. There were 19 measured ISZ serum concentrations obtained from 8 patients after >1 week of verified inpatient dosing, ranging from 1.0 to 7.5 mg/L, above the MIC in all cases when known. Five (42%) patients died of underlying non-mycological causes, 1 (8%) died of progressive scedosporiosis, and 6 (50%) improved. The two patients receiving ISM prophylaxis did not suffer a breakthrough fungal infection. ISM was well tolerated with no dose-limiting, drug-related toxicities noted. Conclusion ISM is a well-tolerated therapeutic option in pediatric patients at risk for or with invasive mycosis. Only 1 of our 12 patients died from progressive fungal disease. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Death with a functioning allograft has become the leading category of graft loss in kidney transplant recipients at all time points. Previous analyses have demonstrated that causes of death in kidney transplant recipients are predominated by comorbidities strongly associated with immunosuppressant medications. Adverse drug events (ADEs) have been strongly associated with nonadherence, health care utilization, and graft loss; clinicians face a difficult decision on whether making immunosuppressant adjustments in the face of ADEs will improve symptomology or simply increase the risk of acute rejection. Clinicians also face a treatment quandary in 50% of kidney transplant recipients with stage 3 or worse chronic kidney disease at 1 year post transplantation, as progressive decline in renal function has been strongly associated with inferior allograft survival., Objective: The primary objective of the CLinical Utility of the omnigrAf biomarkeR Panel In The Care of kidneY Transplant Recipients (CLARITY) trial is to evaluate change in renal function over time in kidney transplant recipients who are undergoing OmniGraf monitoring in conjunction with monitoring of their medication-related symptom burden (MRSB). A secondary objective of this study is to identify the impact of OmniGraf use in conjunction with patient-reported MRSB as part of clinical care on patients' self-efficacy and quality of life., Methods: CLARITY is a 3-year prospective, multisite, observational study of 2000 participants with a matched control, measuring the impact of real-time patients' MRSB and the OmniGraf biomarker panel on change in renal function over time. Secondary outcome measures include the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Conditions-Managing Medications and Treatment-Short Form 4a; the PROMIS-29 Profile (version 2.1); the PROMIS Depression Scale, hospitalizations-subcategorized for hospitalizations owing to infections; treated rejections, MRSB, and proportion of participants with overall graft survival at year 3 post transplantation; graft loss or death during the 3-year study follow-up period; and change in provider satisfaction., Results: The primary outcome measure of the study will be a comparison of the slope change in estimated glomerular filtration rate from baseline to the end of follow-up between study participants and a matched control group. Secondary outcome measures include changes over time in PROMIS Self-Efficacy for Managing Chronic Conditions-Managing Medications and Treatment-Short Form 4a, the PROMIS-29 Profile (version 2.1), and PROMIS Depression Scale in the study group, as well as a comparison of hospitalizations and causes, rejections, and graft and patient survival compared between participants and a matched cohort. The anticipated first enrollment in the study is October 2022 with data analysis and publication expected in October 2027., Conclusions: Through this report, we describe the study design, methods, and outcome measures that will be utilized in the ongoing CLARITY trial., Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05482100; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05482100., International Registered Report Identifier (irrid): PRR1-10.2196/41020., (©James N Fleming, Timothy Cober, Janelle Hickey, Leslie Stach, Allison Kawano, Amanda Szczepanik, Alicia Watson, Yuka Imamura, Juston Weems, Patricia West-Thielke. Originally published in JMIR Research Protocols (https://www.researchprotocols.org), 14.12.2022.)

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the antibiotic selection of preoperative orders before and after a pharmacist order entry protocol for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization. METHODS: A retrospective chart review of orthopedic surgery procedures on patients with MRSA colonization at a free-standing, academic pediatric hospital, between February 2010 and February 2012. RESULTS: Procedures that were performed pre protocol (n = 27) implementation had a 63% rate of appropriate antibiotic selection compared to 81% in the postprotocol group (n = 32; p = 0.1155). The preprotocol group dose accuracy was 96% compared to 97% in the postprotocol group (p = 0.81). Two procedures, 1 in each group, were redosed appropriately for extended surgery duration. Correct timing of antibiotic administration occurred in 82% of cases pre protocol versus 68% post protocol (p = 0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with MRSA colonization had a greater rate of appropriate drug selection after the implementation of a pharmacist-initiated preoperative protocol. Correct antibiotic dose and redose remained consistent between the study groups. Most of the orthopedic procedures performed included patients on antibiotic coverage at steady state for ongoing infections, which impacted the analysis of preoperative timing. Further studies should be conducted to assess whether the increase in the number of appropriate antibiotic selections decreases the rate of postoperative MRSA infections.

Background: The emergence of antibiotic-resistant organisms and the lack of development of new antimicrobials have made it imperative that additional strategies be developed to maintain the effectiveness of these existing antibiotics. The objective of this study was to describe the impact of a prospective-audit-with-feedback antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on antibiotic use in a children's hospital., Method: A quasi-experimental study design with a control group was performed to assess the impact of a prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP. The control group was the combined antibiotic use at 25 similar children's hospitals that are members of the Child Health Corporation of America., Results: The ASP reviewed 10 460 broad-spectrum or select antibiotics in 8765 patients in the 30 months following the intervention. The most common select antibiotics reviewed were ceftriaxone/cefotaxime (43%), vancomycin (18%), ceftazidime (12%), and meropenem (7%). A total of 2378 recommendations were made in 1703 (19%) patients; the most common recommendation was to stop antibiotics (41%). Clinicians were compliant with agreed-upon ASP recommendations in 92% of patients. When comparing our antibiotic use with that of the control group, a monthly decline in all antibiotics of 7% (P = .045) and 8% (P = .045) was observed for days of therapy (DoT) and length of therapy (LoT) per 1000 patient-days, respectively. An even greater effect was observed in the select antibiotics as the monthly DoT per 1000 patient-days declined 17% (P < .001) and the monthly LoT per 1000 patient-days declined 18% (P < .001)., Conclusions: A prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP can have a significant impact on decreasing antibiotic use at a children's hospital., (© The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: In pediatrics, limited data are available on how to develop and implement an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP). In addition, no data exist on clinicians' impression of such programs. The objectives of this study were to describe the development and implementation of an ASP in a children's hospital and to describe the thoughts and attitudes of the clinicians interacting with the ASP., Methods: A qualitative description of the development and implementation of an ASP is provided. In addition, 2 years after the implementation of a prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP, an electronic survey was administered to clinicians to assess their attitudes toward the ASP., Results: A 5-step process for developing this ASP included the following: team development; selecting the stewardship strategy(ies) and antimicrobials to monitor; establishing a method to identify patients; program evaluation; and implementation. Of 365 participants surveyed, 205 (56%) responded, and 80% (160 of 199) had never worked with an ASP before its implementation. Clinicians agreed that the ASP decreased inappropriate use of antibiotics (84%, 162 of 194), improved the quality of patient care (82%, 159 of 194), and provided knowledge and education about appropriate antibiotic use (91%, 177 of 194). Negative feelings regarding the ASP included the following: 11% (22 of 194) felt a loss of autonomy; 6% (12 of 194) felt that it interfered with clinical decision-making; and 5% (9 of 194) felt threatened. Clinicians thought that to further decrease inappropriate antibiotic use, guidelines of empiric antibiotic choices (80%, 152 of 189) should be developed, and better training in medical school and residency should be provided (80%, 152 of 189). Finally, our clinicians felt that the problem of antibiotic resistance and inappropriate antibiotic use was worse nationally than at our institution., Conclusions: A prospective-audit-with-feedback ASP was successfully developed and implemented at a children's hospital. The ASP was perceived by clinicians to reduce inappropriate antibiotic use and to improve the quality of care of hospitalized children, with minimal loss of physician autonomy or interference in clinical decision-making., (© The Author 2012. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)