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Management of candidemia in developing countries like India encounters laxity in appropriate clinical management and challenges in terms of healthcare capacity, despite its association with high morbidity and mortality. Our study aims to evaluate the impact of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle implementation on appropriateness of therapy and major clinical outcomes.The single-center, quasi-experimental study conducted at a south Indian tertiary care center included adult patients diagnosed with candidemia. Following a retrospective review of candidemia patients of the pre-implementation period (January 2013-December 2015), the hospital antifungal stewardship team instituted a clinical pharmacist driven comprehensive candidemia care bundle for candidemia patients during the post-implementation period (October 2017-2019) and its impact on appropriateness of antifungal prescriptions and inpatient mortality was evaluated.The study included 175 patients with candidemia, comprising of 103 patients in the pre-implementation period and 72 patients in the post-implementation period. Appropriateness of antifungal prescriptions rose to 65% during post-implementation period from 30% observed in pre-implementation phase (P = .0005). The inhospital mortality rate reduced from 40% in the pre-implementation phase to 36% in the post-implementation phase, recording a 10% reduction over 2 years post-implementation (P = .26). No significant difference was observed in terms length of stay (P = .17).Our study demonstrates the successful implementation of an antifungal stewardship led comprehensive care bundle in a low middle income countries setting. The results of our study will have profound implications in improving the appropriateness of management of candidemia and feasibility of scaling up to wider settings could be explored.

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Background In India, Candida bloodstream infections have a reported incidence of 1–12 per 1,000 admissions and a mortality rate of up to 60%. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) can improve quality of care and clinical outcomes. This study evaluates the impact of a comprehensive candidemia ASP bundle in a hospital in southern India with an established stewardship program. Methods A single-center, pre-post quasi-experimental study was conducted at a tertiary-care center in southern India to analyze the impact of an ASP care bundle for the management of adults with candidemia. During the intervention period (October 2017–December 2018), the ASP provided recommendations to providers in accordance with the 2016 IDSA Guidelines for the Management of Candidemia, which included the following bundle: (1) appropriate selection and dosing of antifungal therapy; (2) repeat blood cultures every 48 hours until clearance; (3) removal of central venous catheters and other potential removable foci of infection; (4) echocardiogram; (5) ophthalmologic evaluation; and (6) appropriate duration of therapy. The primary outcome was initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy. Additional clinical outcomes were also compared with a historical cohort. Results One hundred and four patients with candidemia were included: 52 in the pre-intervention and 52 in the post-intervention group. Overall, baseline demographics were similar between the two groups (Table 1). Candida tropicalis (26.9%) and Candida parapsilosis (29.8%) were the most common causes of candidemia in the cohort. Following intervention, administration of appropriate antifungal therapy improved by 40.4% (28.8% pre vs. 69.2% post, P < 0.01). Average time to effective treatment initiation following culture positivity decreased from 57.6 hours to 12 hours in the post-intervention group (P < 0.01). Thirty-day all-cause mortality was similar between the two groups (34.6% 38.4%, P = 0.84). Conclusion Implementation of a comprehensive candidemia care bundle by the ASP significantly improved the use and timing of initiation of appropriate antifungal therapy. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Azathioprine (AZA), a prodrug of 6 mercaptopurine, is an immunosuppressant that can be used as adjunctive therapy with corticosteroids in the treatment of arteritic form of ischemic optic neuropathy. Although myelotoxicity is known to occur while using azathioprine, severe pancytopenia is rarely seen. Patients with thiopurine methyltransferase (TPMT) deficiency are at high risk of developing severe myelosuppression. A 63 year* old female with ischemic optic neuropathy was initiated treatment with oral methylprednisone. As two courses of oral steroids showed no significant improvement, oral azathioprine 25 mg twice daily was added and gradually increased to 50 mg twice daily with relief of symptoms. 6 mo later, she was admitted with acute stroke and lab reports showed low levels of total blood counts or pancytopenia. The patient was put on broad spectrum antibiotics; given injection of granulocyte colony stimulating factor 300 mcg subcutaneously and blood transfusion as correction till counts normalised. She improved over 14 d and on next follow-up counts were in normal range. Causality was assessed by Naranjo causality assessment scale and a probable relationship was obtained between azathioprine and pancytopenia with a score of 6. Variations in TPMT activity occurs due to genetic polymorphism. Physicians should be aware of the possibility of myelosuppression while prescribing azathioprine. Frequent blood count monitoring is the most convenient way to avoid this problem where testing for TPMT deficiency is not possible.

Objective: To report a case of lithium induced bilateral nonpitting pedal edema.Methods: The clinical data of a bipolar affective disorder patient with current episode of mania and psychotic symptoms who experienced bilateral non pitting pedal edema with lithium.Results: The patient was a 29 yr old female who developed bilateral non-pitting type pedal edema with lithium therapy with normal plasma lithium level (0.72mEq/l). She is a known case of bipolar affective disorder (BPAD) was admitted to psychiatry department with episode of mania with psychotic symptoms. She had history of drug induced hypersensitivity reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) with oxcarbazepine and so the drug was discontinued and was started on tablet lithium 400 mg twice daily. On admission here, the dose of lithium was increased to 1200 mg/day. The patient gradually improved but she developed bilateral non-pitting pedal edema. Serum lithium concentration was normal and there were no other early symptoms of lithium toxicity. But as the patient's distress further increased with increasing pedal edema, it was decided to stop lithium altogether and to maintain the patient on tablet quetiapine 800 mg therapy for BPAD. Within one week of stopping lithium the edema on both her feet decreased significantly. Causality was assessed by naranjo causality assessment scale and a probable relationship was obtained between lithium and pedal edema with a score of 6.Conclusion: This case emphasises that regular physical examination and laboratory investigations are important for patients who are on lithium therapy. Clinicians should always be careful while initiating lithium treatment in a patient with respect to the initial dose and dose escalation even after a period of successful therapy with lithium, as minor dose escalation can cause major changes in the serum lithium concentration and thereby the patient’s tolerability to lithium.