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Introduction This expert review outlines current and future point-of-care technologies for the diagnosis of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which is responsible for causing coronavirus disease COVID-19 in the emergency department. COVID-19 first emerged in late 2019 and is responsible for a range of presentations from minor upper respiratory tract symptoms to severe pneumonia and multisystem organ failure. Among the technologies available include the gold standard of molecular point-of-care tests as well as antigen detection tests. Areas covered We discuss point-of-care molecular tests including multiplex, targeted, and single plex panels as well as various antigen testing methodologies in terms of availability and performance characteristics. In addition, we focus on current testing best practices and considerations for point-of-care testing in the emergency department based on a search of the literature available in PubMed to date and a review of FDA and CDC guidance. Expert opinion While there have been many advances in SARS-CoV-2 point-of-care testing, there remain challenges to implementation in the emergency department setting. A paradigm shift is needed to improve diagnosis and clinical outcomes.

Background The prevalence of syphilis is increasing in the United States. The emergency department (ED) is an important setting to screen and treat underserved populations. In order to tailor testing protocols to the local population, we aimed to identify risk factors for syphilis positivity in ED patients. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of ED patients who were screened for syphilis between November 2018 and August 2020. Patients were screened for Treponema pallidum antibody using a multiplex flow immunoassay and positive results were confirmed by rapid plasma reagin or Treponema pallidum particle agglutination. Risk factors for new syphilis diagnoses were identified using multiple logistic regression. Results We screened 1,974 patients for syphilis (mean age: 37 ± 16 years; 56% female). We identified 201 patients with new infections without previous treatment. Independent risk factors for a new diagnosis of syphilis included housing status [undomiciled: 23% (60/256), domiciled: 9% (133/1,559), aOR 1.9 (95% CI 1.2, 3.0)], history of HIV [positive: 44% (28/63), negative: 9% (173/1,893), aOR 5.8 (95% CI 3.0, 11.2)], tobacco use [positive: 15% (117/797), negative: 4% (29/665), aOR 2.4 (95% CI 1.5, 3.9)] and illicit drug use [positive: 14% (112/812), negative: 8% (52/678), aOR 2.2 (95% CI 1.0, 2.5)]. Conclusion Undomiciled housing status, history of HIV, history of tobacco use and history of illicit drug use were independently associated with a new diagnosis of syphilis in the ED. Broadening targeted syphilis screening algorithms beyond sexually transmitted disease (STD) related complaints could help identify new syphilis cases for treatment.

BackgroundHigh rates of asymptomatic infections with COVID-19 have been reported.ObjectiveWe aimed to describe an asymptomatic COVID-19 testing protocol in a pediatric emergency department (ED).MethodsThis was a retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients (younger than 18 years) who were tested for COVID-19 via the asymptomatic testing protocol at a single urban pediatric ED between May 2020 and January 2021. This included all pediatric patients undergoing admission, urgent procedures, and psychiatric facility placement. The primary outcome was the percentage of positive COVID-19 tests. COVID-19 testing was performed via real-time polymerase chain reaction RNA assay testing. County-level COVID-19 data were used to estimate local daily COVID-19 cases/100,000 individuals (from all ages). Data were described with simple descriptive statistics.ResultsThere were 1459 children tested for COVID-19 under the asymptomatic protocol. Mean ± standard deviation age was 8.2 ± 5.8 years. Two tests were inconclusive and 29 (2.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-2.8%) were positive. Of the 29 positive cases, 14 (48%; 95% CI 29-67%) had abnormal vital signs or signs and symptoms of COVID-19, on retrospective review. A total of 15 truly asymptomatic infections were identified. On the days that asymptomatic cases were identified, the lowest average daily community rate was 7.67 cases/100,000 individuals.ConclusionsAsymptomatic COVID-19 positivity rates in the pediatric ED were low when the average daily community rate was fewer than 7.5 cases/100,000 individuals. In the current pandemic, ED clinicians should assess for signs and symptoms of COVID-19, even when children present to the ED with unrelated chief symptoms.

Contains fulltext : 232499.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) OBJECTIVES: Antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) has established its importance for inpatient care. AMS is, however, also urgently needed in emergency departments (ED), where many antimicrobial prescriptions are initiated. It is currently unclear what metrics stewardship teams can use to measure and improve the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescription in the ED. In this study we develop quality indicators (QIs) for antimicrobial use in the ED. METHODS: A RAND-modified Delphi procedure was used to develop a set of QIs applicable to adult patients who present at the ED with a potential infection. First, pragmatically using two recent papers of the international expert-group DRIVE-AB, potential ED-specific QIs for appropriate antimicrobial use were retrieved. Thereafter, an international multidisciplinary expert panel appraised these QIs during two questionnaire rounds with a meeting in between. RESULTS: Thirty-three potential QIs were extracted from the DRIVE-AB papers. After appraisal by 13 experts, 22 QIs describing appropriate antimicrobial use in the ED were selected. These indicators provide recommendations within five domains: stewardship prerequisites (six QIs); diagnostics (one QI); empirical treatment (ten QIs); documentation of information (four QIs); and patient discharge (one QI). CONCLUSIONS: We pragmatically developed a set of 22 QIs that can be used by stewardship teams to measure the appropriateness of antimicrobial prescription in the ED. There is probably room for additional QI development to cover all key aspects of AMS in the ED. Measuring QIs can be a first step for stewardship teams to, in collaboration with ED professionals, choose targets for improvement and optimize antimicrobial use.

The MITIGATE toolkit was developed to assist urgent care and emergency departments in the development of antimicrobial stewardship programs. At the University of Washington, we adopted the MITIGATE toolkit in 10 urgent care centers, 9 primary care clinics, and 1 emergency department. We encountered and overcame challenges: a complex data build, choosing feasible outcomes to measure, issues with accurate coding, and maintaining positive stewardship relationships. Herein, we discuss solutions to challenges we encountered to provide guidance for those considering using this toolkit.

Objectives There has been increased focus nationally on limiting opioid prescriptions. National data demonstrates a decrease in annual opioid prescriptions among emergency medicine physicians. We analyzed data from 2012 to 2020 from a large academic health system in California to understand trends in opioid prescribing patterns for emergency department (ED) discharged patients and assessed the potential impact of two initiatives at limiting local opioid prescriptions. Methods In 2012-2020, monthly ED visit data was used to evaluate the total number of outpatient opioid prescriptions and percent of ED visits with opioid prescriptions (as primary outcomes). Descriptive statistics, graphic representation, and segmented regression with interrupted times series were used based on two prespecified time points associated with intensive local initiatives directed at limiting opioid prescribing1) comprehensive emergency medicine resident education and 2) electronic health record (EHR)-based intervention. Results Between March 2012 and July 2020, a total of 41,491 ED discharged patients received an opioid prescription. The three most commonly prescribed drugs were hydrocodone (84.1%), oxycodone (10.8%), and codeine (2.8%). After implementing comprehensive emergency medicine resident education, the total number of opioid prescriptions, the percentage of opioid prescriptions over total ED visit numbers and the total tablet number showed decreasing trends (p's ≤ 0.01), in addition to the natural (pre-intervention) decreasing trends. In contrast, later interventions in the EHR tended to show attenuated decreasing trends. Conclusions From 2012 to 2020, we found that total opioid prescriptions decreased significantly for discharged ED patients. This trend is seen nationally. However, our specific interventions further heightened this downward trend. Evidence-based legislation, policy changes, and educational initiatives that impact prescribing practices should guide future efforts.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are among the most common bacterial infections in the United States and are a major driver of antibiotic use, both appropriate and inappropriate, across healthcare settings. Novel UTI diagnostics are a strategy that might enable better UTI treatment. Members of the Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group Laboratory Center and the Infectious Diseases Society of America Diagnostics Committee convened to envision ideal future UTI diagnostics, with a view towards improving delivery of healthcare, patient outcomes and experiences, and antibiotic use, addressing which types of UTI diagnostics are needed and how companies might approach development of novel UTI diagnostics.

Author(s): Yadav, Kabir; Meeker, Daniella; Mistry, Rakesh D; Doctor, Jason N; Fleming-Dutra, Katherine E; Fleischman, Ross J; Gaona, Samuel D; Stahmer, Aubyn; May, Larissa | Abstract: BackgroundAntibiotics are commonly prescribed during emergency department (ED) and urgent care center (UCC) visits for viral acute respiratory infection (ARI). We evaluate the comparative effectiveness of an antibiotic stewardship intervention adapted for acute care ambulatory settings (adapted intervention) to a stewardship intervention that additionally incorporates behavioral nudges (enhanced intervention) in reducing inappropriate prescriptions.MethodsThis study was a pragmatic, cluster-randomized clinical trial conducted in three academic health systems comprising five adult and pediatric EDs and four UCCs. Randomization of the nine sites was stratified by health system; all providers at each site received either the adapted or the enhanced intervention. The main outcome was the proportion of antibiotic-inappropriate ARI diagnosis visits that received an outpatient antibiotic prescription by individual providers. We estimated a hierarchical mixed-effects logistic regression model comparing visits during the influenza season for 2016 to 2017 (baseline) and 2017 to 2018 (intervention).ResultsThere were 44,820 ARI visits among 292 providers across all nine cluster sites. Antibiotic prescribing for ARI visits dropped from 6.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]n= 4.5% to 7.9%) to 2.4% (95% CIn= 1.3% to 3.4%) during the study period. We found a significant reduction in inappropriate prescribing after adjusting for health-system and provider-level effects from 2.2% (95% CIn= 1.0% to 3.4%) to 1.5% (95% CIn= 0.7% to 2.3%) with an odds ratio of 0.67 (95% CIn= 0.54 to 0.82). Difference-in-differences between the two interventions was not significantly different.ConclusionImplementation of antibiotic stewardship for ARI is feasible and effective in the ED and UCC settings. More intensive behavioral nudging methods were not more effective in high-performance settings.

Increasingly, demands are placed on healthcare systems to meet antimicrobial stewardship standards and reporting requirements. This trend, combined with reduced financial and personnel resources, has created a need to adopt information technology (IT) to help ease these burdens and facilitate action. The incorporation of IT into an antimicrobial stewardship program can help improve stewardship intervention efficiencies and facilitate the tracking and reporting of key metrics, including outcomes. This paper provides a review of the stewardship-related functionality within these IT systems, describes how these platforms can be used to improve antimicrobial use, and identifies how they can support current and potential future antimicrobial stewardship regulatory and accreditation standards. Finally, recommendations to help close the gaps in existing systems are provided and suggestions for future areas of development within these programs are delineated.

Author(s): Ford, James S.; Chechi, Tasleem; Toosi, Kavian; Mahmood, Bilawal; Meehleis, Dillon; Otmar, Michella; Tran, Nam; May, Larissa | Abstract: Introduction: In 2019 the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released draft guidelines recommending universal hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening for individuals aged 18-79. We aimed to assess the efficacy of an Emergency Department-based HCV screening program, by comparing screening practices before and after its implementation.Methods: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of two temporally-matched, 11-month study periods, corresponding to before and after the implementation of a best practice advisory (BPA). Patients were screened for anti-HCV antibody (Ab) and positive results were followed by HCV viral load (VL) testing. The primary implementation outcome was ED testing volume (number of tests performed/month). The primary screening outcomes were the seroprevalence of anti-HCV Ab and HCV VL. Data were described with simple descriptive statistics.Results: The median age of patients was similar between periods (pre: 50 years [IQR 34-62], post: 47 years [IQR 33-59]). Patients screened were more likely to be males in the pre-BPA period (Male, pre:60%, post: 49%). During the pre-BPA study period, a total of 69,604 patients were seen in the ED, and 218 unique patients were screened for HCV (mean 19.8 tests/month). During the post-BPA study period, a total of 68,225 patients were seen in the ED, and 14, 981 unique patients were screened for HCV (mean 1,361.9 tests/month). Anti-HCV Ab seroprevalence was 23% (51/218) and 9% (1,340/14,981) in the pre-BPA and post-BPA periods, respectively. In the pre-BPA period, six patients with a positive anti-HCV Ab level had follow-up viral load testing (three were detectable). In the post-BPA period, reflex VL testing was performed in most patients (91%, 1,225/1,340), and there were 563 patients with detectable VLs.Conclusion: Our study shows that utilizing a universal BPA-driven screening protocol can dramatically increase the number of patients screened for HCV and increase the number of new HCV diagnoses.

Study objective Antibiotic resistance is a global health threat. India has one of the highest rates of antibiotic use in the world. The objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of self‐prescribed antibiotic use of patients presenting with febrile and infectious disease‐related complaints to Indian emergency departments. Methods This was a prospective observational study conducted at 6 Indian emergency departments (EDs) between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2019. Adult patients who presented with a chief complaint of febrile illness or infectious disease complaints were included. Our principal outcomes of interest were self‐prescribed use of antibiotics within the prior 6 months or for the presenting complaint. We queried respondents about source of antibiotics as well as about demographic characteristics that influenced use. Results A total of 1421 patients were enrolled. Sixty percent (n = 856) of respondents reported using antibiotics in the prior 6 months or for their current complaint. Those who reported self‐prescribing antibiotics either in the past or currently had at least some college education (P

Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) for infectious diseases, with a turnaround time of less than 2 hours, are promising tools that could improve patient care, antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention in the emergency department (ED) setting. Numerous RDTs have been developed, although not necessarily for the ED environment. Their successful implementation in the ED relies on their performance and impact on patient management. Objectives The aim of this narrative review was to provide an overview of currently available RDTs for infectious diseases in the ED. Sources PubMed was searched through August 2019 for available studies on RDTs for infectious diseases. Inclusion criteria included: commercial tests approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or Conformite Europeenne (CE) in vitro diagnostic devices with data on clinical samples, ability to run on fully automated systems and result delivery within 2 hours. Content A nonexhaustive list of representative commercially available FDA- or CE-approved assays was categorized by clinical syndrome: pharyngitis and upper respiratory tract infection, lower respiratory tract infection, gastrointestinal infection, meningitis and encephalitis, fever in returning travellers and sexually transmitted infection, including HIV. The performance of tests was described on the basis of clinical validation studies. Further, their impact on clinical outcomes and anti-infective use was discussed with a focus on ED-based studies. Implications Clinicians should be familiar with the distinctive features of each RDT and individual performance characteristics for each target. Their integration into ED work flow should be preplanned considering local constraints of given settings. Additional clinical studies are needed to further evaluate their clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness.

Objective: We evaluated the effect of a behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention in reducing the number of antibiotic prescriptions written for antibiotic nonresponsive acute respiratory infections (ARIs). A secondary objective was identifying whether a reduction in inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions, if present, persisted after the immediate implementation of the intervention. Design: Nonrandomized, quasi-experimental study conducted from January 2017 through February 2020. Setting: University of California, Davis Health outpatient clinics. In total, 21 pediatric, family, and internal medicine practices in 10 cities and towns were included. Patients: Patients evaluated by a participating physician at an enrolled practice site during the study period with diagnoses (primary and secondary) from the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision codes consistent with antibiotic nonresponsive ARI diagnoses. Intervention: A behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention to reduce inappropriate prescribing for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI. Results: In total, 63,028 eligible patient visits across 21 locations were included in the analysis. The most frequently prescribed antibiotic for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI was azithromycin (n = 3,551), followed by amoxicillin (n = 924). Overall, the intervention was associated with an immediate 46% reduction in antibiotic prescriptions for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI (P = .001) following the intervention. We detected no significant change in the month-to-month trend after the intervention was implemented (P = .87), indicating that the reduction was sustained throughout the postintervention period. Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that a behaviorally enhanced quality improvement intervention to reduce inappropriate prescribing for antibiotic nonresponsive ARI in ambulatory care encounters was successful in reducing potentially inappropriate prescriptions for presumed antibiotic nonresponsive ARI.

Background Between 15–50% of patients seen in ambulatory settings are prescribed an antibiotic. At least one third of this usage is considered unnecessary. In 2019, our institution implemented the MITIGATE Toolkit, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral respiratory infections in emergency and urgent care settings. In February 2020 we identified our first hospitalized patient with SARS-CoV(2). In March, efforts to limit person-to-person contact led to shelter in place orders and substantial reorganization of our healthcare system. During this time we continued to track rates of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. Methods This was a single center observational study. Electronic medical record data were accessed to determine antibiotic prescribing and diagnosis codes. We provided monthly individual feedback to urgent care prescribers, (Sep 2019-Mar 2020), primary care, and ED providers (Jan 2020 – Mar 2020) notifying them of their specific rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing and labeling them as a top performer or not a top performer compared to their peers. The primary outcome was rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Results Pre toolkit intervention, 14,398 patient visits met MITIGATE inclusion criteria and 12% received an antibiotic unnecessarily in Jan-April 2019. Post-toolkit intervention, 12,328 patient visits met inclusion criteria and 7% received an antibiotic unnecessarily in Jan-April 2020. In April 2020, patient visits dropped to 10–50% of what they were in March 2020 and April 2019. During this time the unnecessary antibiotic prescribing rate doubled in urgent care to 7.8% from 3.6% the previous month and stayed stable in primary care and the ED at 3.2% and 11.8% respectively in April compared to 4.6% and 10.4% in the previous month. Conclusion Rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were reduced nearly in half from 2019 to 2020 across 3 ambulatory care settings. The increase in prescribing in April seen in urgent care and after providers stopped receiving their monthly feedback is concerning. Many factors may have contributed to this increase, but it raises concerns for increased inappropriate antibacterial usage as a side effect of the SARS-CoV(2) pandemic. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Objective Assess the effectiveness of a multifaceted stewardship intervention to reduce frequency and duration of inappropriate antibiotic use for emergency department (ED) patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI). We hypothesized the antibiotic stewardship program would reduce antibiotic duration and improve guideline adherence in discharged SSTI patients. Design Nonrandomized controlled trial. Setting Academic EDs (intervention site and control site). Patients or participants Attending physicians and nurse practitioners at participating EDs. Intervention(s) Education regarding guideline-based treatment of SSTI, tests of antimicrobial treatment of SSTI, implementation of a clinical treatment algorithm and order set in the electronic health record, and ED clinicians' audit and feedback. Results We examined 583 SSTIs. At the intervention site, clinician adherence to guidelines improved from 41% to 51% (aOR = 2.13 [95% CI: 1.20–3.79]). At the control site, there were no changes in adherence during the “intervention” period (aOR = 1.17 [0.65–2.12]). The between-site comparison of these during vs. pre-intervention odds ratios was not different (aOR = 1.82 [0.79–4.21]). Antibiotic duration decreased by 26% at the intervention site during the intervention compared to pre-intervention (Adjusted Geometric Mean Ratio [95% CI] = 0.74 [0.66–0.84]). Adherence was inversely associated with SSTI severity (severe vs mild; adjusted OR 0.42 [0.20–0.89]) and purulence (0.32 [0.21–0.47]). Mean antibiotic prescription duration was 1.95 days shorter (95% CI: 1.54–2.33) in the time period following the intervention than pre-intervention period. Conclusions A multifaceted intervention resulted in modest improvement in adherence to guidelines compared to a control site, driven by treatment duration reductions.

The first cases of Coronavirus of 2019 (COVID‐19) were reported in Wuhan, China in December 20191. The literature demonstrates geographical variation with regards to estimates of infection incidence, suggesting that COVID‐19 has been underdiagnosed in certain regions2,3. The rate of asymptomatic infection has been estimated to be as high as 30.8%, which may help explain variation in incidence, particularly in regions with differing screening practices 3. Transmission of COVID‐19 by asymptomatic carriers has been reported in multiple family units, indicating that this mode of infection is important in understanding disease epidemiology and population risk4,5.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) drive many outpatient encounters and, despite being predominantly viral, are associated with high rates of antibiotic prescriptions. With rising antibacterial resistance, optimization of prescribing of antibiotics in outpatients with RTIs is a critical need. Fortunately, this challenge arises at a time of increasing availability of novel RTI diagnostics to help discern which patients have bacterial infections warranting treatment. Effective implementation of antibiotic stewardship is needed, but optimal approaches for ambulatory settings are unknown. Future research needs are reviewed in this summary of a research summit convened by the Infectious Diseases Society of America in the fall of 2019.

BackgroundThe prevalence of syphilis is increasing in many countries, including the USA. The ED is often used by underserved populations, making it an important setting to test and treat patients who are not evaluated in outpatient clinical settings. We aimed to assess the utility of an ED-based syphilis and gonorrhoea/chlamydia cotesting protocol by comparing testing practices before and after its implementation.MethodsWe implemented an electronic health record (EHR) alert that prompted clinicians to order syphilis testing in patients undergoing gonorrhoea/chlamydia testing. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis that compared outcomes between the preimplementation period (January–November 2018) and the postimplementation period (January–November 2019). Patients were tested for Treponema pallidum antibody (TPA) using a multiplex flow immunoassay (MFI), and positive results were confirmed by rapid plasma reagin (RPR). The primary implementation outcome was the number of syphilis tests/month, and the primary clinical outcome was the number of syphilis diagnoses/month (defined as positive TPA MFI and RPR). We performed an interrupted time-series analysis to evaluate the effect of implementing the alert over time.ResultsFour-hundred and ninety-four and 1106 unique patients were tested for syphilis in the preimplementation and postimplementation periods, respectively. Syphilis testing increased by 55.6 tests/month (95% CI 45.9 to 65.3, pConclusionsOur study demonstrates that use of a targeted EHR alert testing protocol can increase syphilis testing and diagnosis and may reduce clinician bias in testing.

Contains fulltext : 232371.pdf (Publisher’s version ) (Open Access) BACKGROUND: Emergency departments (EDs) are the entrance gates for patients presenting with infectious diseases into the hospital, yet most antimicrobial stewardship programmes are primarily focused on inpatient management. With equally high rates of inappropriate antibiotic use, the ED is a frequently overlooked yet important unit for targeted antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) interventions. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to (a) describe the specific aspects of antimicrobial stewardship in the ED and (b) summarize the findings from improvement studies that have investigated the effectiveness of antimicrobial stewardship interventions in the ED setting. SOURCES: (a) a PubMed search for 'antimicrobial stewardship' and 'emergency department', and (b) published reviews on effectiveness combined with publications from the first source. CONTENT: (a) An in depth analysis of selected publications provided four key antimicrobial use processes typically performed by front-line healthcare professionals in the ED: making a (tentative) clinical diagnosis, starting empirical therapy based on that diagnosis, performing microbiological tests before starting that therapy and following up patients who are discharged from the ED. (b) Further, we discuss the literature on improvement strategies in the ED focusing on guidelines and clinical pathways and multifaceted improvement strategies. We also summarize the evidence of microbiologic culture review. IMPLICATIONS: Based on our review of the literature, we describe four essential elements of antimicrobial use in the ED. Studying the various interventions targeting these care processes, we have found them to be of a variable degree of success. Nonetheless, while there is a paucity of AS studies specifically targeting the ED, there is a growing body of evidence that AS programmes in the ED are effective with modifications to the ED setting. We present key questions for future research.

Background Antibiotic-inappropriate prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTI) is 45% among urgent care centers (UCCs) in the United States. Locally in our UCCs, antibiotic-inappropriate prescribing for ARTI is higher—over 70%. Methods We used a quasi-experimental design to implement 3 behavioral interventions targeting antibiotic-inappropriate/non-guideline-concordant prescribing for ARTI at 3 high-volume rural UCCs and analyzed prescribing rates pre- and post-intervention. The 3 interventions were (1) staff/patient education, (2) public commitment, and (3) peer comparison. For peer comparison, providers were sent feedback emails with their prescribing data during the intervention period and a blinded ranking email comparing them with their peers. Providers were categorized as “low prescribers” (ie, ≤23% antibiotic-inappropriate prescriptions based off the US National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria 2020 goal) or “high prescribers” (ie, ≥45%—the national average of antibiotic-inappropriate prescribing for ARTI). An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis compared prescribing for ARTI (the primary outcome) over a 16-month period before the intervention and during the 6-month intervention period, for a total of 22 months, across the 3 UCCs. Results Fewer antibiotic-inappropriate prescriptions were written during the intervention period (57.7%) compared with the pre-intervention period (72.6%) in the 3 UCCs, resulting in a 14.9% absolute decrease in percentage of antibiotic-inappropriate prescriptions. The ITS analysis revealed that the rate of antibiotic-inappropriate prescribing was statistically significantly different pre-intervention compared with the intervention period (95% confidence interval, –4.59 to –0.59; P = .014). Conclusions In this sample of rural UCCs, we reduced antibiotic-inappropriate prescribing for ARTI using 3 behavioral interventions.

Given the large number of patients seen in the emergency department (ED) and concerns with antibiotic overprescribing, the ED is an important setting to target for antimicrobial stewardship (AS) initiatives. The ED is positioned between ambulatory and inpatient settings, making AS collaboration with clinicians and other health care providers in the hospital, long-term care facilities, and ambulatory settings critical to success. This article details ED-focused AS strategies on empiric antimicrobial selection, prompt administration, preventing ED return and readmissions, suggested collaborations between ED AS leadership and other key partners, and potential future strategies for expansion.

Reducing inappropriate prescribing is key to mitigating antibiotic resistance, particularly in acute care settings. Clinicians’ prescribing decisions are influenced by their judgments and actual or perceived patient expectations. Fuzzy trace theory predicts that patients and clinicians base such decisions on categorical gist representations that reflect the bottom-line understanding of information about antibiotics. However, due to clinicians’ specialized training, the categorical gists driving clinicians’ and patients’ decisions might differ, which could result in mismatched expectations and inefficiencies in targeting interventions. We surveyed clinicians and patients from 2 large urban academic hospital emergency departments (EDs) and a sample of nonpatient subjects regarding their gist representations of antibiotic decisions, as well as relevant knowledge and expectations. Results were analyzed using exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and multifactor regression. In total, 149 clinicians (47% female; 74% white), 519 online subjects (45% female; 78% white), and 225 ED patients (61% female; 56% black) completed the survey. While clinicians demonstrated greater knowledge of antibiotics and concern about side effects than patients, the predominant categorical gist for both patients and clinicians was “why not take a risk,” which compares the status quo of remaining sick to the possibility of benefit from antibiotics. This gist also predicted expectations and prior prescribing in the nonpatient sample. Other representations reflected the gist that “germs are germs” conflating bacteria and viruses, as well as perceptions of side effects and efficacy. Although individually rational, reliance on the “why not take a risk” representation can lead to socially suboptimal results, including antibiotic resistance and individual patient harm due to adverse events. Changing this representation could alter clinicians’ and patients’ expectations, suggesting opportunities to reduce overprescribing.

The mechanisms that mediate durable protection against Staphylococcus aureus skin reinfections are unclear, as recurrences are common despite high antibody titers and memory T cells. Here, we developed a mouse model of S. aureus skin reinfection to investigate protective memory responses. In contrast with WT mice, IL-1β-deficient mice exhibited poor neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance during primary infection that was rescued during secondary S. aureus challenge. The γδ T cells from skin-draining LNs utilized compensatory T cell-intrinsic TLR2/MyD88 signaling to mediate rescue by trafficking and producing TNF and IFN-γ, which restored neutrophil recruitment and promoted bacterial clearance. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of the LNs revealed a clonotypic S. aureus-induced γδ T cell expansion with a complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) aa sequence identical to that of invariant Vγ5+ dendritic epidermal T cells. However, this T cell receptor γ (TRG) aa sequence of the dominant CDR3 sequence was generated from multiple gene rearrangements of TRGV5 and TRGV6, indicating clonotypic expansion. TNF- and IFN-γ-producing γδ T cells were also expanded in peripheral blood of IRAK4-deficient humans no longer predisposed to S. aureus skin infections. Thus, clonally expanded γδ T cells represent a mechanism for long-lasting immunity against recurrent S. aureus skin infections.

Purpose Trends in shortages of vaccines and immune globulin products from 2001 through 2015 in the United States are described. Methods Drug shortage data from January 2001 through December 2015 were obtained from the University of Utah Drug Information Service. Shortage data for vaccines and immune globulins were analyzed, focusing on the type of product, reason for shortage, shortage duration, shortages requiring vaccine deferral, and whether the drug was a single-source product. Inclusion of the product into the pediatric vaccination schedule was also noted. Results Of the 2,080 reported drug shortages, 59 (2.8%) were for vaccines and immune globulin products. Of those, 2 shortages (3%) remained active at the end of the study period. The median shortage duration was 16.8 months. The most common products on shortage were viral vaccines (58%), especially hepatitis A, hepatitis B, rabies, and varicella vaccines (4 shortages each). A vaccine deferral was required for 21 shortages (36%), and single-source products were on shortage 30 times (51%). The most common reason for shortage was manufacturing problems (51%), followed by supply-and-demand issues (7%). Thirty shortages (51%) were for products on the pediatric schedule, with a median duration of 21.7 months. Conclusion Drug shortages of vaccines and immune globulin products accounted for only 2.8% of reported drug shortages within a 15-year period, but about half of these shortages involved products on the pediatric vaccination schedule, which may have significant public health implications.

Background Many bacteria are demonstrating increasing levels of resistance to commonly used antibiotics. While this has implications for the healthcare system as a whole, many patients infected with these resistant organisms will initially present to the emergency department (ED). The purpose of this review is to provide a summary of current trends in infections caused by the most clinically relevant resistant organisms encountered in emergency medicine. Methods Bacteria were selected based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria, and PubMed database. Results The following bacteria were included: methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus , vancomycin-resistant Enterococci, Escherichia coli , carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa . All have shown increasing rates of resistance to one or more of the antibiotics commonly used to treat them. Increasing rates of antibiotic resistance are associated with worse clinical outcomes and greater healthcare costs. Conclusions Antibiotic resistance is increasing and poses significant a risk to both the patient and public health as a whole. Appropriate choice of initial antibiotic is important in improving clinical outcomes, which is often the role of the ED provider. On a broader level, the ED must also take part in institutional efforts such as Antibiotic Stewardship Programs, which have been shown to decrease costs and rates of infection with resistant organisms. Ultimately, a multifaceted approach will be required to curb the threat of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Background In an effort to support stewardship endeavors, the MITIGATE (a Multifaceted Intervention to Improve Prescribing for Acute Respiratory Infection for Adult and Children in Emergency Department and Urgent Care Settings) Toolkit was published in 2018, aiming to reduce unnecessary antibiotics for viral respiratory tract infections (RTIs). At the University of Washington, we have incorporated strategies from this toolkit at our urgent care clinics. This study aims to address solutions to some of the challenges we experienced. Challenges and Solutions Methods This was a retrospective observational study conducted at Valley Medical Center (Sept 2019-Mar 2020) and the University of Washington (Jan 2019-Feb 2020) urgent care clinics. Patients were identified through ICD-10 diagnosis codes included in the MITIGATE toolkit. The primary outcome was identifying challenges and solutions developed during this process. Results We encountered five challenges during our roll-out of MITIGATE. First, using both ICD-9 and ICD-10 codes can lead to inaccurate data collection. Second, technical support for coding a complex data set is essential and should be accounted for prior to beginning stewardship interventions of this scale. Third, unintentional incorrect diagnosis selection was common and may require reeducation of prescribers on proper selection. Fourth, focusing on singular issues rather than multiple outcomes is more feasible and can offer several opportunities for stewardship interventions. Lastly, changing prescribing behavior can cause unintended tension during implementation. Modifying benchmarks measured, allowing for bi-directional feedback, and identifying provider champions can help maintain open communication. Conclusion Resources such as the MITIGATE toolkit are helpful to implement standardized data driven stewardship interventions. We have experienced some challenges including a complex data build, errors with diagnostic coding, providing constructive feedback while maintaining positive stewardship relationships, and choosing feasible outcomes to measure. We present solutions to these challenges with the aim to provide guidance to those who are considering using this toolkit for outpatient stewardship interventions. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Background: The rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) is 45% among urgent care centers across the United States. To contribute to the US National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria, which aims to decrease rates of inappropriate prescribing, we implemented 2 behavioral nudges using the evidence-based MITIGATE tool kit from urgent-care settings, at 3 high-volume, rural, urgent-care centers. Methods: An interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was conducted comparing a preintervention phase during the 2017–2018 influenza season (October through March) to the intervention phase during the 2018–2019 influenza season. We compared the rate of inappropriate or non–guideline-concordant antibiotic prescribing for ARTIs across 3 urgent-care locations. The 2 intervention behavioral nudges were (1) staff and patient education and (2) peer comparison. Provider education included presentations at staff meetings and grand rounds, and patient education print materials were distributed to the 3 locations coupled with news media and social media. We utilized the CDC “Be Antibiotics Aware” campaign materials, with our hospital’s logo added, and posted them in patient rooms and waiting areas. For the peer comparison behavioral intervention, providers were sent individual feedback e-mails with their prescribing data during the intervention period and a blinded ranking e-mail in which they were ranked in comparison to their peers. In the blinded ranking email, providers were placed into categories of “low prescribers,” those with a ≤23% inappropriate antibiotic prescribing rate based on the US National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistance Bacteria 2020 goal, or “high prescribers,” those with a rate greater than the national average (45%) of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for ARTI. Results: Our results show that fewer inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions were written during the intervention period (58.8%) than during the preintervention period (73.0%), resulting in a 14.5% absolute decrease in rates of inappropriate prescribing among urgent-care locations over a 6-month period (Fig. 1). The largest percentage decline in rates was seen in the month of April (−35.8%) when compared to April of the previous year. The ITS analysis revealed that the rate of inappropriate prescribing was statistically significantly different during the preintervention period compared to the intervention period (95% CI, −4.59 to −0.59; P = .0142). Conclusions: Using interventions outlined in the MITIGATE tool kit, we were able to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for ARTI in 3 rural, urgent-care locations.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Larissa May repo, Speaking honoraria-Cepheid Research grants-Roche Consultant-BioRad Advisory Board-Qvella Consultant-Nabriva

Sepsis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality and health system cost and is a major pain point for health systems in the United States whose payments are now partially tied to sepsis perform...

Background Acute upper respiratory tract infections are a common cause of Emergency Department (ED) visits and often result in unnecessary antibiotic treatment. Methods We conducted a randomized clinical trial to evaluate the impact of a rapid, multi-pathogen respiratory panel (RP) test versus usual care (control). Patients were eligible if they were ≥12 months old, had symptoms of upper respiratory infection or influenza like illness, and were not on antibiotics. The primary outcome was antibiotic prescription; secondary outcomes included antiviral prescription, disposition, and length of stay (ClinicalTrials.gov# NCT02957136). Results Of 191 patients enrolled, 93 (49%) received RP testing; 98 (51%) received usual care. Fifty-three (57%) RP and 7 (7%) control patients had a virus detected and reported during the ED visit (p=0.0001). Twenty (22%) RP patients and 33 (34%) usual care patients received antibiotics during the ED visit (-12% [95% CI -25%, 0.4%]; p=0.06/0.08); 9 RP patients received antibiotics despite having a virus detected. The magnitude of antibiotic reduction was greater in children (-19%) versus adults (-9%; post-hoc analysis). There was no difference in antiviral use, length of stay, or disposition. Conclusions Rapid RP testing was associated with a trend towards decreased antibiotic use, suggesting a potential benefit from more rapid viral tests in the ED. Future studies should determine if specific groups are more likely to benefit from testing and evaluate relative cost and effectiveness of broad testing, focused testing, and a combined diagnostic and antimicrobial stewardship approach.

Background Antibiotic stewardship efforts have expanded focus from inpatient to include outpatient settings. However, stewardship is urgently needed in acute care ambulatory settings: emergency departments (EDs) and urgent care centers (UCCs). Implementation of antibiotic stewardship in acute ambulatory care settings has been limited. Two major barriers to effective implementation exist: 1) lack of adaptation of successful outpatient stewardship interventions to the acute care ambulatory setting and 2) absence of rigorous measurement of implementation processes in EDs and UCCs in a manner that informs future scale and spread. Objectives Our objective was to apply an implementation science approach to address antibiotic overuse and inappropriate use in EDs and UCCs. Methods This study was a redesign of an evidence-based outpatient antibiotic stewardship intervention at participating EDs and UCCs using an innovative implementation science framework (dynamic adaptation process), adaptable for local clinical workflow and local champion provision. We evaluated multiple implementation outcome metrics throughout a cluster-randomized comparative effectiveness clinical trial of two approaches to the adapted antibiotic stewardship interventions. Results Our preimplementation phase included 21 in-depth interviews and online provider surveys (52% response rate). For the postimplementation survey, we had a 39% response rate. We identified common themes including patient expectations, lack of knowledge of existing guidelines, and maintenance of education over time. Additional themes indicated differences in modifications needed by type of clinical setting. Adoption of public commitment was high, with 79% of providers signing a commitment log, and 84% received public commitment flair. Signing of public commitment posters rate was 62%, as several sites chose not to use this component. Acceptability, fidelity, and appropriateness were also measured. Conclusions We demonstrate that implementation science approaches can help address the problem of unnecessary antibiotic use in EDs and UCCs with high acceptability and adoption. Similar approaches could be used to tailor quality improvement interventions in these settings.

Background Inappropriate antibiotic use is implicated in antibiotic resistance and resultant morbidity and mortality. Overuse is particularly prevalent for outpatient respiratory infections, and perceived patient expectations likely contribute. Thus, various educational programs have been implemented to educate the public. Methods We systematically identified public-directed interventions to promote antibiotic awareness in the United States. PubMed, Google Scholar, Embase, CINAHL, and Scopus were queried for articles published from January 1996 through January 2016. Two investigators independently assessed titles and abstracts of retrieved articles for subsequent full-text review. References of selected articles and three review articles were likewise screened for inclusion. Identified educational interventions were coded for target audience, content, distribution site, communication method, and major outcomes. Results Our search yielded 1,106 articles; 34 met inclusion criteria. Due to overlap in interventions studied, 29 distinct educational interventions were identified. Messages were primarily delivered in outpatient clinics (N = 24, 83%) and community sites (N = 12, 41%). The majority included clinician education. Antibiotic prescription rates were assessed for 22 interventions (76%). Patient knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs (KAB) were assessed for 10 interventions (34%). Similar rates of success between antibiotic prescription rates and patient KAB were reported (73 and 70%, respectively). Patient interventions that did not include clinician education were successful to increase KAB but were not shown to decrease antibiotic prescribing. Three interventions targeted reductions in Streptococcus pneumoniae resistance; none were successful. Conclusions Messaging programs varied in their designs, and many were multifaceted in their approach. These interventions can change patient perspectives regarding antibiotic use, though it is unclear if clinician education is also necessary to reduce antibiotic prescribing. Further investigations are needed to determine the relative influence of interventions focusing on patients and physicians and to determine whether these changes can influence rates of antibiotic resistance long-term. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12889-019-7258-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

* Abbreviations: ASP — : antibiotic stewardship program ED — : emergency department EHR — : electronic health record In 2015, White House administrators released the National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria with a 5-year goal to reduce unnecessary and inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in ambulatory settings by 50%.1 Among ambulatory sites, emergency departments (EDs) receive ∼30 million pediatric visits annually with ∼7 million associated antibiotic prescriptions.2 It is estimated that approximately one-half of these ED prescriptions for antibiotics are unnecessary or inappropriate.3 Therefore, the ED represents an important site of care in which inappropriate antibiotic prescribing and the consequent impact posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria can be reduced. However, antimicrobial stewardship in the ED is challenging because of logistical and provider-level barriers as well as obstacles native to the ED environment.4 In this issue of Pediatrics , Poole et al5 describe the high proportion of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for children who are evaluated in the ED and highlight the following important challenge of regulating antibiotic use in children: pediatric emergency care that occurs in nonpediatric hospitals. In their study, EDs that were not in children’s hospitals had relatively higher rates of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing for acute respiratory tract infections, greater usage rates of broad-spectrum antibiotics, and higher rates of guideline-discordant … Address correspondence to Rakesh D. Mistry, MD, MS, Section of Emergency Medicine, Children’s Hospital Colorado, 13123 E. 16th Ave, B251, Aurora, CO 80045. E-mail: rakesh.mistry{at}childrenscolorado.org

SUMMARYMore than 2 million visits for skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are seen in US emergency departments (EDs) yearly. Up to 50% of patients with SSTIs, suffer from recurrences, but associated factors remain poorly understood. We performed a retrospective study of patients with primary diagnosis of SSTI between 2005 and 2011 using California ED discharge data from the State Emergency Department Databases and State Inpatient Databases. Using a multivariable logistic regression, we examined factors associated with a repeat SSTI ED visits up to 6 months after the initial SSTI. Among 197 371 SSTIs, 16·3% were associated with a recurrent ED visit. We found no trend in recurrent visits over time (χ2 trend = 0·68, P = 0·4). Race/ethnicity, age, geographical location, household income, and comorbidities were all associated with recurrent visits. Recurrent ED visits were associated with drug/alcohol abuse or liver disease [odds ratio (OR) 1·4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1·3–1·4], obesity (OR 1·3, 95% CI 1·2–1·4), and in infections that were drained (OR 1·1, 95% CI 1·1–1·1) and inversely associated with hospitalization after initial ED visit (OR 0·4, 95% CI 0·3–0·4). In conclusion, we found several patient-level factors associated with recurrent ED visits. Identification of these high-risk groups is critical for future ED-based interventions.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are commonly seen in the ambulatory health care settings such as emergency departments (EDs) and outpatient clinics. Our objective was to assess trends over time in the incidence and demographics of STIs seen in the ED and outpatient clinics compared with office-based clinics using the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey.This study was conducted using 10 years of National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data (2001-2010). We compared data from 2001-2005 to data from 2006-2010. Patients were included in analyses if they were 15 years and older and had an International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision code consistent with cervicitis, urethritis, chlamydia, gonorrhea, or trichomonas.We analyzed 82.4 million visits for STIs, with 16.5% seen in hospital-based EDs and 83.5% seen in office-based clinics between 2001 and 2010. Compared with patients seen in office-based clinics, ED patients were younger (P.05), more likely to be male (P.001) and nonwhite (P.001), and less likely to have private insurance (P.05). We found a significant increase in adolescent (15-18 years) ED visits (P.05) from 2001-2015 to 2006-2010 and a decrease in adolescent and male STI visits in office-based settings (P.05).Although patients with STI are most commonly seen in office-based clinics, EDs represent an important site of care. In particular, ED patients are relatively younger, male, and nonwhite, and less likely to be private insured.

The widespread use of urinary catheters is associated with a rising number of catheter-associated infections (CA-UTI) and the approach to these infections presents a diagnostic challenge due to difficulty in differentiating this entity from catheter-associated asymptomatic bacteriuria (CA-ASB). This article reviews the current literature regarding diagnosis, microbiology, treatment, and prevention of CA-UTIs. Misconceptions surrounding diagnostic technique and indications for testing result in unneeded antimicrobial administration. Due to the substantial burden of CA-UTIs, much emphasis has been placed on prevention and the most successful prevention strategies are aimed at behavioral changes to minimize unnecessary catheterizations. There are significant clinical sequelae of CA-UTIs and they pose a substantial burden on the healthcare system. Clinicians must accurately diagnose and manage CA-UTIs to prevent unnecessary antibiotic use which often leads to increasing antimicrobial resistance. In an effort to prevent CA-UTIs, healthcare systems should focus on prevention of unnecessary urinary catheterizations or prompt removal of urinary catheters once they are no longer indicated.

Aim Coinfecting bacterial pathogens are a major cause of morbidity and mortality in influenza. However, there remains a paucity of literature on the magnitude of coinfection in influenza patients. Method A systematic search of MeSH, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, SCOPUS, EMBASE, and PubMed was performed. Studies of humans in which all individuals had laboratory confirmed influenza, and all individuals were tested for an array of common bacterial species, met inclusion criteria. Results Twenty-seven studies including 3215 participants met all inclusion criteria. Common etiologies were defined from a subset of eight articles. There was high heterogeneity in the results (I2 = 95%), with reported coinfection rates ranging from 2% to 65%. Although only a subset of papers were responsible for observed heterogeneity, subanalyses and meta-regression analysis found no study characteristic that was significantly associated with coinfection. The most common coinfecting species were Streptococcus pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus, which accounted for 35% (95% CI, 14%–56%) and 28% (95% CI, 16%–40%) of infections, respectively; a wide range of other pathogens caused the remaining infections. An assessment of bias suggested that lack of small-study publications may have biased the results. Conclusions The frequency of coinfection in the published studies included in this review suggests that although providers should consider possible bacterial coinfection in all patients hospitalized with influenza, they should not assume all patients are coinfected and be sure to properly treat underlying viral processes. Further, high heterogeneity suggests additional large-scale studies are needed to better understand the etiology of influenza bacterial coinfection.

Evidence-based guidelines for implementation and measurement of antibiotic stewardship interventions in inpatient populations including long-term care were prepared by a multidisciplinary expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The panel included clinicians and investigators representing internal medicine, emergency medicine, microbiology, critical care, surgery, epidemiology, pharmacy, and adult and pediatric infectious diseases specialties. These recommendations address the best approaches for antibiotic stewardship programs to influence the optimal use of antibiotics.

Evidence-based guidelines for implementation and measurement of antibiotic stewardship interventions in inpatient populations including long-term care were prepared by a multidisciplinary expert panel of the Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. The panel included clinicians and investigators representing internal medicine, emergency medicine, microbiology, critical care, surgery, epidemiology, pharmacy, and adult and pediatric infectious diseases specialties. These recommendations address the best approaches for antibiotic stewardship programs to influence the optimal use of antibiotics.

Background In an effort to combat antimicrobial resistance and adverse drug events, The Joint Commission mandated expansion of antimicrobial stewardship programs into ambulatory healthcare settings Jan 2020. The most common diagnoses resulting in inappropriate antimicrobial prescribing are respiratory infections. This study aimed to assess the rate of antibiotic prescribing for viral respiratory tract infections within six urgent care clinics affiliated with University of Washington Medicine health system in Seattle, WA. Methods This was a retrospective observational study from Jan 2019-Feb 2020. We used the MITIGATE toolkit; a resource that meets CDC’s core elements for outpatient stewardship. Patients were identified based upon pre-specified ICD-10 codes for viral respiratory infections. The primary outcome was the rate of unnecessary antimicrobial prescriptions for acute viral respiratory infections. Secondary outcomes evaluated inappropriate prescribing practices based on antibiotic selection, diagnosis, and age. Results Of 7,313 patients (6078 adults and 1235 pediatric) included, 23% were inappropriately prescribed antibiotics. The most common antibiotics inappropriately prescribed were azithromycin (62%), amoxicillin (13%), and doxycycline (13%). Fluoroquinolone (FQ) utilization was low (2%). Bronchitis (61%) and nonsuppurative otitis media (NSOM) (24%) were the most common viral diagnoses for which antibiotics were prescribed. Overall, unnecessary prescribing was lower in pediatrics than adults at 13% and 25%, respectively (p< 0.001). Adults were more often prescribed antibiotics inappropriately for bronchitis and NSOM compared to pediatrics (p=0.0013). Conclusion Inappropriate prescribing practices across six urgent care clinics varied based upon age and diagnosis. Azithromycin is most often inappropriately prescribed but the low rate of FQ prescribing is encouraging. The lower rate of unnecessary prescribing in pediatrics is promising although there is room for improvement as 1 in 8 children were unnecessarily prescribed antibiotics. These findings support the need for antibiotic stewardship in the outpatient setting, targeting areas for azithromycin use and therapeutic management of bronchitis. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

Background: Judicious prescribing of antibiotics is necessary in addressing the crisis of emerging antibiotic resistance and reducing adverse events. Nearly half of antibiotic prescriptions in the outpatient setting are inappropriate, most for viral upper respiratory infections (URIs). Data outlining the misuse of antibiotics in the outpatient setting provide compelling evidence of the need for more rational use of antimicrobial agents beyond hospital settings. Objectives: We evaluated the effect of a behaviorally enhanced quality improvement (QI) intervention to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral URI in the ambulatory care clinics of a large quaternary care healthcare system serving an urban-rural population. Methods: The outpatient antibiotic stewardship program was implemented in January 2018 at 5 pilot sites. Interventions included identification of a site champion, educational sessions, sharing of clinic and individual provider data, and patient and provider educational materials. In addition, preclinic huddles and resident education sessions for internal medicine resident physicians were conducted with a display of public commitment to prescribe antibiotics appropriately. Site champions collaborated with onsite staff to ensure interventions were consistent with local workflows, policies, and standards. The primary outcome was defined as the provider-level antibiotic prescribing rate for acute URI, defined as patient visits with antibiotic-nonresponsive diagnoses without concomitant diagnostic codes to support antibiotic prescribing (see the public MITIGATE tool kit for a complete list). Results: In total, 116,122 antibiotic prescriptions were dispensed from April 2017 through December 2018 compared to the period from April 2017 to December 2017 during which 9,129 fewer prescriptions were ordered. Inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral URI for ambulatory clinic encounters (n ≥ 45,000 visits per month) declined from 14.3% to 7.6%. Academic hospital-based sites showed little seasonality trends and no statistically significant decrease in prescription rates (P = .5176). On the other hand, community-based sites showed strong seasonal fluctuations and a statistically significant decrease in prescription rates after intervention (P = .000189). Conclusions: A multifaceted behaviorally enhanced QI intervention to reduce inappropriate prescribing for URI in ambulatory care encounters at a large integrated health system was successful in reducing both inappropriate prescriptions for presumed viral URI as well as total antibiotic use. Findings suggest that implementing leadership roles, education sessions, and low resource behavioral nudging (peer comparison and public commitment) together can decrease excessive use of antibiotics by physicians. A Hawthorne effect may be an important component of these interventions. Future studies are needed in order to determine the optimal combination of behavioral interventions that are cost-effective in outpatient settings.Funding: NoneDisclosures: Larissa May reports receiving speaking honoraria from Cepheid, research grants from Roche, and consultancy fees from BioRad and Nabriva. She serves on the advisory board for Qvella.

The emergency department (ED) is the hub of the US health care system. Acute infectious diseases are frequently encountered in the ED setting, making this a critical setting for antimicrobial stewardship efforts. Systems level and behavioral stewardship interventions have demonstrated success in the ED setting but successful implementation depends on institutional support and the presence of a physician champion. Antimicrobial stewardship efforts in the ED should target high-impact areas: antibiotic prescribing for nonindicated respiratory tract conditions, such as bronchitis and sinusitis; overtreatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria; and using two antibiotics (double coverage) for uncomplicated cases of cellulitis or abscess.