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Background:Antibiotic use in nursing homes is often inappropriate, in terms of overuse and misuse, and it can be linked to adverse events and antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) can optimize antibiotic use by minimizing unnecessary prescriptions, treatment cost, and the overall spread of antimicrobial resistance. Nursing home providers and residents are candidates for ASP implementation, yet guidelines for implementation are limited.Objective:To support nursing home providers with the selection and adoption of ASP interventions.Design and Setting:A multiphase modified Delphi method to assess 15 ASP interventions across criteria addressing scientific merit, feasibility, impact, accountability, and importance. This study included surveys supplemented with a 1-day consensus meeting.Participants:A 16-member multidisciplinary panel of experts and resident representatives.Results:From highest to lowest, 6 interventions were prioritized by the panel: (1) guidelines for empiric prescribing, (2) audit and feedback, (3) communication tools, (4) short-course antibiotic therapy, (5) scheduled antibiotic reassessment, and (6) clinical decision support systems. Several interventions were not endorsed: antibiograms, educational interventions, formulary review, and automatic substitution. A lack of nursing home resources was noted, which could impede multifaceted interventions.Conclusions:Nursing home providers should consider 6 key interventions for ASPs. Such interventions may be feasible for nursing home settings and impactful for improving antibiotic use; however, scientific merit supporting each is variable. A multifaceted approach may be necessary for long-term improvement but difficult to implement.

OBJECTIVES Antimicrobial stewardship is advocated to reduce antimicrobial resistance in ICUs by reducing unnecessary antimicrobial consumption. Evidence has been limited to short, single-center studies. We evaluated whether antimicrobial stewardship in ICUs could reduce antimicrobial consumption and costs. DESIGN We conducted a phased, multisite cohort study of a quality improvement initiative. SETTING Antimicrobial stewardship was implemented in four academic ICUs in Toronto, Canada beginning in February 2009 and ending in July 2012. PATIENTS All patients admitted to each ICU from January 1, 2007, to December 31, 2015, were included. INTERVENTIONS Antimicrobial stewardship was delivered using in-person coaching by pharmacists and physicians three to five times weekly, and supplemented with unit-based performance reports. Total monthly antimicrobial consumption (measured by defined daily doses/100 patient-days) and costs (Canadian dollars/100 patient-days) before and after antimicrobial stewardship implementation were measured. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS A total of 239,123 patient-days (57,195 patients) were analyzed, with 148,832 patient-days following introduction of antimicrobial stewardship. Antibacterial use decreased from 120.90 to 110.50 defined daily dose/100 patient-days following introduction of antimicrobial stewardship (adjusted intervention effect -12.12 defined daily dose/100 patient-days; 95% CI, -16.75 to -7.49; p < 0.001) and total antifungal use decreased from 30.53 to 27.37 defined daily doses/100 patient-days (adjusted intervention effect -3.16 defined daily dose/100 patient-days; 95% CI, -8.33 to 0.04; p = 0.05). Monthly antimicrobial costs decreased from $3195.56 to $1998.59 (adjusted intervention effect -$642.35; 95% CI, -$905.85 to -$378.84; p < 0.001) and total antifungal costs were unchanged from $1771.86 to $2027.54 (adjusted intervention effect -$355.27; 95% CI, -$837.88 to $127.33; p = 0.15). Mortality remained unchanged, with no consistent effects on antimicrobial resistance and candidemia. CONCLUSIONS Antimicrobial stewardship in ICUs with coaching plus audit and feedback is associated with sustained improvements in antimicrobial consumption and cost. ICUs with high antimicrobial consumption or expenditure should consider implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs.

Background: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) results in high morbidity and mortality. Infectious diseases (ID) consultation for SAB has been associated with improved process measures and outcomes in SAB. Recent guidelines have been implemented to include ID consultation in the management of positive SAB culture. We sought to determine whether a policy of mandatory ID consultation for SAB would improve management and mortality. Methods: We conducted a retrospective quasi-experimental study of patients with SAB at three academic hospitals comparing adherence to process measures, and mortality as a secondary measure, before and after implementation of a hospital policy of mandatory ID consultation for all cases of SAB. Results: ID consultation was performed in 239/411 (58%) patients in the pre-intervention period and 196/205 (96%) patients in the post-intervention period (p < 0.0001). Compared with pre-intervention, mandatory consultation was associated with better adherence to quality process measures including echocardiography (319/411 (78%) versus 186/205 (91%) p < 0.0001), subsequent blood culture within 2–4 days (174/411 (42%) versus 143/205 (70%) p < 0.0001) and avoidance of vancomycin as definitive antibiotic therapy for methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) (54/347 (16%) versus 13/177 (7%) p = 0.0082). In-hospital mortality rate was 94/411 (23%) in the pre-intervention group and 33/205 (16%) in the post-intervention group. The unadjusted sub-distribution hazard ratio (sHR) for in-hospital mortality in the postintervention period was 0.67 (95% CI 0.45 to 0.99, p = 0.0447). After adjusting for significant prognostic factors, post-intervention in-hospital mortality had an sHR of 0.79 (95% CI 0.52 to 1.20, p = 0.2686). Conclusions: A policy of mandatory ID consultation for patients with SAB was easily implemented leading to consultation in nearly all SAB patients and improved adherence to standard of care process measures. In-hospital mortality did not improve significantly after adjusting for patient characteristics. Our study provides the framework to support this easily implemented institutional policy in academic hospitals.

Objectives We conducted a meta-analysis to summarize diagnostic properties of risk factors and clinical prediction rules for diagnosing infective endocarditis (IE) in Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia (SAB). Methods We searched MEDLINE, Embase, and the Cochrane Database from inception to 6 January 2016 to identify studies evaluating risk factors and clinical prediction rules for IE in SAB patients. Pooled estimates of diagnostic properties for main risk factors were calculated using a bivariate random effects model. Results Of 962 articles identified, 30 studies were included. These involved 16 538 SAB patients including 1572 IE cases. Risk factors with positive likelihood ratio (PLR) greater than 5 included embolic events (PLR 12.7, 95% CI 9.2–17.7), pacemakers (PLR 9.7, 95% CI 3.7–21.2), history of previous IE (PLR 8.2, 95% CI 3.1–22.0), prosthetic valves (PLR 5.7, 95% CI 3.2–9.5), and intravenous drug use (PLR 5.2, 95% CI 3.8–6.9). The only clinical factor with negative likelihood ratio (NLR) less than 0.5 was documented clearance of bacteraemia within 72 hours (NLR range 0.32–0.35). Of the nine published clinical prediction rules for ruling out IE, five had an NLR below 0.1. Conclusions SAB patients with high-risk features (embolic events, pacemakers, prosthetic valves, previous IE, or intravenous drug use) should undergo a trans-esophageal echocardiography (TEE) for IE. Clinical prediction rules show promise in safely ruling out endocarditis, but require validation in future studies.

Background Antimicrobial prescribing is frequently reported as appropriate or inappropriate, particularly in the ICU. However, the definitions used are non-standardized and lack validity and reliability. Objectives To develop standardized definitions of appropriateness for antimicrobial prescribing in the critical care setting. Methods We used consensus-based modified Delphi and RAND appropriateness methodology to develop criteria to define appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing. A multiphased approach with an online questionnaire followed by a facilitated in-person meeting was utilized and included clinicians from a variety of practice areas (e.g. surgeons, infectious diseases specialists, intensivists, transplant specialists and pharmacists). Results There were a total of 23 criteria agreed upon to define the following categories of antimicrobial prescribing: appropriate; effective but unnecessary; inappropriate; and under-treatment. Conclusions These standardized criteria for appropriateness may be generalizable to other patient populations and utilized with other tools to adjudicate prescribing practices.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) causes significant morbidity and mortality. We assessed the disease severity and clinical outcomes of SAB in patients with pre-existing immunosuppression, compared with immunocompetent patients. A retrospective cohort investigation studied consecutive patients with SAB hospitalized across six hospitals in Toronto, Canada from 2007 to 2010. Patients were divided into immunosuppressed (IS) and immunocompetent (IC) cohorts; the IS cohort was subdivided into presence of one and two or more immunosuppressive conditions. Clinical parameters were compared between cohorts and between IS subgroups. A competing risk model compared in-hospital mortality and time to discharge. A total of 907 patients were included, 716 (79%) were IC and 191 (21%) were IS. Within the IS cohort, 111 (58%) had one immunosuppressive condition and 80 (42%) had two or more conditions. The overall in-hospital mortality was 29%, with no differences between groups (IS 32%, IC 28%, p = 0.4211). There were no differences in in-hospital mortality (sub-distribution hazard ratio [sHR] 1.17, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.88–1.56, p = 0.2827) or time to discharge (sHR 0.94, 95% CI 0.78–1.15, p = 0.5570). Independent mortality predictors for both cohorts included hypotension at 72 h (IS: p

Background To examine antibiotic stewardship program (ASP) structure among high-performing hospitals and determine which components of the 2016 Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA)/Society for Hospital Epidemiology of America (SHEA) ASP guidelines are implemented at each site. Methods A survey of the highest-ranking hospitals, compiled from the 2015–2016 US News and World Report’s Best Hospital Rankings, was conducted from August to December 2016. This corresponded to 138 adult and 62 pediatric unique hospitals. We inquired as to which components of the 2016 IDSA/SHEA ASP guidelines were implemented at each site. Appropriate persons at each hospital were emailed surveys after telephone or email conversations confirmed that they belonged to that hospital’s ASP. Results Overall, 101 of 200 hospitals responded (51%). Of these, 82% (n = 83/101) had an active ASP, and 59% (n = 47/80) were active for more than 5 years. Most report to a committee rather than to an individual (n = 68/80, 85%), do not have their own budget (n = 42/80, 53%), and selectively implement IDSA/SHEA recommendations. Additionally, the majority of ASPs in top hospitals follow aspects of The Joint Commission Standards for Antimicrobial Stewardship, which were released after the survey was administered. Conclusions Of leading US hospitals responding to our survey, >80% had an ASP, and most implemented the majority of commitments, interventions, and optimization strategies suggested by IDSA/SHEA. Understanding the structure of ASPs in these hospitals will assist other hospitals in program implementation.

Chest computed tomography (CT) findings of nodules, ground glass opacities, and consolidations are often interpreted as representing invasive fungal infection in individuals with febrile neutropenia. We assessed whether these CT findings were present in asymptomatic individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) at low risk of invasive fungal disease. A retrospective study of consecutive asymptomatic adult patients with newly diagnosed AML over a 2-year period was performed at a tertiary care oncology center. Radiology reports of baseline chest CTs were reviewed. Of 145 CT scans, the majority (88%) had pulmonary abnormalities. Many (70%) had one or both of unspecified opacities (52%) and nodules (49%). Ground glass opacities (18%) and consolidations (12%) occurred less frequently. Radiologists suggested pneumonia as a possible diagnosis in 32% (n = 47) of scans. Chest CT may result in over-diagnosis of invasive fungal disease in individuals with febrile neutropenia if interpreted without correlation to the patients' clinical status.

Infectious diseases specialists often use diagnostic tests to assess the probability of a disease based on knowledge of the diagnostic properties. It has become standard for published studies on diagnostic tests to report sensitivity, specificity and predictive values. Likelihood ratios are often omitted. We compared published clinical prediction rules in Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia to illustrate the importance of likelihood ratios. We performed a narrative review comparing published clinical prediction rules used for excluding endocarditis in S. aureus bacteremia. Of nine published clinical prediction rules, only three studies reported likelihood ratios. Many studies concluded that the clinical prediction rule could safely exclude endocarditis based on high sensitivity and high negative predictive value. Of the studies with similar high sensitivity and high negative predictive value, calculated negative likelihood ratios were able to differentiate and identify the best clinical prediction rule for excluding endocarditis. Compared to sensitivity, specificity and predictive values, likelihood ratios can be more directly used to interpret diagnostic test results to assist in ruling in or ruling out a disease. Therefore, a new standard should be set to include likelihood ratios in reporting of diagnostic tests in infectious diseases research.

Purpose The purpose was to describe characteristics and outcomes of restrained and nonrestrained patients enrolled in a randomized trial of protocolized sedation compared with protocolized sedation plus daily sedation interruption and to identify patient and treatment factors associated with physical restraint. Methods This was a post hoc secondary analysis using Cox proportional hazards modeling adjusted for center- and time-varying covariates to evaluate predictors of restraint use. Results A total of 328 (76%) of 430 patients were restrained for a median of 4 days. Restrained patients received higher daily doses of benzodiazepines (105 vs 41 mg midazolam equivalent, P μ g fentanyl equivalents, P P P = .02), and more daily benzodiazepine boluses (0.2 vs 0.1, P P = .02) and atypical antipsychotics (17% vs 4%, P = .003). More restrained patients experienced unintentional device removal (26% vs 3%, P P = .01). In the multivariable analysis, alcohol use was associated with decreased risk of restraint (hazard ratio, 0.22; 95% confidence interval, 0.08-0.58). Conclusions Physical restraint was common in mechanically ventilated adults managed with a sedation protocol. Restrained patients received more opioids and benzodiazepines. Except for alcohol use, patient characteristics and treatment factors did not predict restraint use.

Background Antimicrobial stewardship programs potentially lead to appropriate antibiotic use, yet the optimal approach for neonates is uncertain. Such a program was implemented in a tertiary care neonatal intensive care unit in October 2012. We evaluated the impact of this program on antimicrobial use and its association with clinical outcomes. Methods In a retrospective cohort study, we examined 1580 neonates who received antimicrobials in the 13-months before and 13-months during program implementation. Prospective audit and feedback was given 5 days a week on each patient who was receiving antibiotic. Pharmacy and microbiology data were linked to clinical data from the local Canadian Neonatal Network database. The primary outcome was days of antibiotic therapy per 1000 patient-days; secondary outcomes included mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis, and antibiotic duration for culture-positive and culture-negative late-onset sepsis. The breadth of antibiotic exposure was compared using the Antibiotic Spectrum Index. Results Overall antibiotic use decreased to 339 days of therapy per 1000 patient-days from 395 (14%, P

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) have predominately involved infectious diseases physicians and pharmacists with little attention to the nurses. To achieve optimal success of ASPs, engagement of nurses to actively participate in initiatives, strategies, and solutions to combat antibiotic resistance across the health care spectrum is required. In this context, the experiences of local ASP teams engaging nurses in appropriate antimicrobial use were explored to inform future strategies to enhance their involvement in ASPs.

To 1) describe factual, emotional, and delusional memories of ICU stay for patients enrolled in the SLEAP (Daily sedation interruption in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients cared for with a sedation protocol) trial; 2) compare characteristics of patients with and without ICU recall, and patients with and without delusional memories; and 3) determine factors associated with delusional memories 28 days after ICU discharge.Prospective cohort.Sixteen North American medical and surgical ICUs.Critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults randomized in the SLEAP trial.Post-ICU interviews on days 3, 28, and 90 using the validated ICU Memory Tool.Overall, 289 of 297 ICU survivors (97%) (146 protocolized sedation and 143 protocolized sedation plus daily interruption patients) were interviewed at least once. Because there were no differences in recall status or types of memories between the two sedation groups, we present the findings for all patients rather than by study group. On days 3, 28, and 90, 28%, 26%, and 36% of patients, respectively, reported no recall of being in the ICU (overall perception, self-reported) (p = 0.75). Mean daily doses of benzodiazepines and opioids were lower in patients with no ICU recall than those with recall (p0.0001 for both). Despite one third of patients reporting no recall of ICU stay on day 3, 97% and 90% reported at least one factual and one emotional memory from ICU, respectively. Emotional memories declined with time after ICU discharge, particularly panic and confusion. Delusional memories 28 days after discharge were common (70%) yet unrelated to delirium (p = 0.84), recall status (p = 0.15), total dose of benzodiazepine (p = 0.78), or opioid (p = 0.21). Delusional memories were less likely with longer duration of mechanical ventilation (odds ratio, 0.955; 95% CI, 0.91-1.00; p = 0.04).Recall of ICU stay and types of memories reported were not influenced by the trial sedation strategy. Lack of ICU recall and delusional memories were common after ICU discharge despite the use of sedation strategies that promoted wakefulness.

Objectives The aim of this study was to develop a prediction model to identify patients with low-risk Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), in whom infective endocarditis (IE) can be ruled out based on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE). Background S. aureus is a major cause of bacteremia and often leads to IE. Current guidelines recommend performing transesophageal echocardiography on all patients or treating all patients empirically with prolonged intravenous antibiotics; however, this approach is resource intensive, many physicians do not adhere to guidelines, and recent studies suggest that low-risk patients may not require transesophageal echocardiography. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 833 consecutive hospitalized patients with SAB from 7 academic and community hospitals in Toronto, Canada, over a 3-year period (2007 to 2010). Patients who received a TTE within 28 days of bacteremia (n = 536) were randomly divided into derivation and validation cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine high-risk criteria for IE in the derivation cohort, and criteria were then applied to the validation cohort to determine diagnostic properties. Results Four high-risk criteria predicted IE: indeterminate or positive TTE (p Conclusions A normal TTE ruled out IE in patients without community-acquired SAB, high-risk cardiac conditions, and intravenous drug use. This study provides evidence that clinical risk stratification combined with a normal TTE may be adequate to rule out IE in most patients with SAB.

Objectives We compared the effectiveness of cefazolin versus cloxacillin in the treatment of MSSA bacteraemia in terms of mortality and relapse. Methods A retrospective cohort study examined consecutive patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia from six academic and community hospitals between 2007 and 2010. Patients with MSSA bacteraemia who received cefazolin or cloxacillin as the predominant definitive antibiotic therapy were included in the study. Ninety-day mortality was compared between the two groups matched by propensity scores. Results Of 354 patients included in the study, 105 (30%) received cefazolin and 249 (70%) received cloxacillin as the definitive antibiotic therapy. In 90 days, 96 (27%) patients died: 21/105 (20%) in the cefazolin group and 75/249 (30%) in the cloxacillin group. Within 90 days, 10 patients (3%) had a relapse of S. aureus infection: 6/105 (6%) in the cefazolin group and 4/249 (2%) in the cloxacillin group. All relapses in the cefazolin group were related to a deep-seated infection. Based on the estimated propensity score, 90 patients in the cefazolin group were matched with 90 patients in the cloxacillin group. In the propensity score-matched groups, cefazolin had an HR of 0.58 (95% CI 0.31–1.08, P = 0.0846) for 90 day mortality. Conclusions There was no significant clinical difference between cefazolin and cloxacillin in the treatment of MSSA bacteraemia with respect to mortality. Cefazolin was associated with non-significantly more relapses compared with cloxacillin, especially in deep-seated S. aureus infections.

To examine the effectiveness of an antimicrobial stewardship programme on utilization and cost of antimicrobials in leukaemia patients in Canada.We conducted a multisite retrospective observational time series study from 2005 to 2013. We implemented academic detailing as the intervention of an antimicrobial stewardship programme in leukaemia units at a hospital, piloted February-July 2010, then fully implemented December 2010-March 2013, with no intervention in August-November 2010. Internal control was the same hospital's allogeneic haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation unit. External control was the combined leukaemia-haematopoietic stem-cell transplantation unit at another hospital. Primary outcome was antimicrobial utilization (antibiotics and antifungals) in defined daily dose per 100 patient-days (PD). Secondary outcomes were antimicrobial cost (Canadian dollars per PD); cost and utilization by drug class; length of stay; 30-day inpatient mortality; and nosocomial Clostridium difficile infection. We used autoregressive integrated moving average models to evaluate the impact of the intervention on outcomes.The intervention group included 1006 patients before implementation and 335 during full implementation. Correspondingly, internal control had 723 and 264 patients, external control 1395 and 864 patients. Antimicrobial utilization decreased significantly in the intervention group (p 0.01, 278 vs. 247 defined daily dose per 100 PD), increased in external control (p = 0.02, 237.4 vs. 268.9 defined daily dose per 100 PD) and remained stable in internal control (p = 0.66). Antimicrobial cost decreased in the intervention group (p = 0.03; $154.59 per PD vs. $128.93 per PD), increased in external control (p = 0.01; $109.4 per PD vs. $135.97 per PD) but was stable in internal control (p = 0.27). Mortality, length of stay and nosocomial C. difficile rate in intervention group remained stable.The antimicrobial stewardship programme reduced antimicrobial use in leukaemia patients without affecting inpatient mortality and length of stay.

Objective: Antimicrobial stewardship is a process designed to optimize antimicrobial therapy by ensuring patients get the right antimicrobials at the right dose and at the right time. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are increasingly being implemented in health care institutions, are required by some accreditation bodies, and have the potential for maximum impact in intensive care units (ICUs). We administered a survey to critical care physicians across Canada to better understand their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions on the utility of ASPs in improving patient care. Design, Setting, and Patients: We distributed a Web-based survey to physicians who attend in Canadian ICUs. Respondents were identified through the membership lists of multiple critical care organizations. Content validity, utility, clarity, and test–retest reliability were evaluated prior to distribution. Survey items assessed ASP knowledge, attitudes, and experiences. Attitudes toward ASPs were assessed on a 5-point Likert-type scale. Measurements and Main Results: The survey was completed by 185 physicians, with a response rate of 29% (n = 185/634) for all physicians contacted. A majority (74%) of respondents reported that there was at least 1 component of an ASP at their institution. Most (86%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the patients in their ICU benefit from an ASP, with 81% reporting the ASP increases their knowledge of appropriate antimicrobial use in the ICU setting. Only 11% of respondents reported they felt that time spent interacting with the ASP team was an inefficient use of their time, and only 7% expressed concern that the ASP negatively affected their autonomy. Conclusion: Based on our survey results, Canadian intensivists are supportive of antimicrobial stewardship in ICUs and feel that ASPs provide a valuable service to both patients and clinicians.

Background: Inappropriate use of antimicrobials is linked to the development and spread of drug-resistant pathogens and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, lengths of hospital stay, and health care costs. “Antimicrobial stewardship” is the umbrella term for an evidence based knowledge translation strategy involving comprehensive quality improvement activities to optimize the use of antimicrobials, improve patient outcomes, reduce the development of antimicrobial resistance and hospital-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile , and decrease health care costs. Objective: To assess the perceptions and experiences of antimicrobial stewardship program leaders in terms of clinicians’ attitudes toward and behaviours related to antimicrobial prescribing. Methods: In this qualitative study, semistructured interviews were conducted with 6 antimicrobial stewards (2 physicians and 4 pharmacists) at 3 academic hospitals between June and August 2013. Results: The following 3 key themes emerged from the interviews: getting the right people on board, building collegial relationships, and rapidly establishing a track record. The study results elucidated the role and mechanisms that the program leader and other antimicrobial stewards used to influence other clinicians to engage in effective utilization of antimicrobials. The results also highlighted the methods employed by members of the antimicrobial stewardship team to tailor their strategies to the local context and to stakeholders of participating units; to gain credibility by demonstrating the impact of the antimicrobial stewardship program on clinical outcomes and cost; and to engage senior leaders to endorse and invest in the antimicrobial stewardship program, thereby adding to the antimicrobial stewards’ credibility and their ability to influence the uptake of effective antimicrobial use. Conclusions: Collectively, these results offer insight into processes and mechanisms of influence employed by antimicrobial stewards to enhance antimicrobial use among clinicians, which can in turn inform future implementation of antimicrobial stewardship and strategies for organizational change in hospitals. RESUME Contexte : L’utilisation inappropriee d’antimicrobiens est liee au developpement et a la propagation de pathogenes resistants aux medicaments, en plus d’etre associee a une augmentation de la morbidite, de la mortalite, de la duree du sejour a l’hopital et des couts des soins de sante. « Gerance des antimicrobiens » est le terme generique designant une strategie d’application des connaissances fondee sur des donnees probantes qui comporte des activites exhaustives d’amelioration de la qualite pour : optimiser l’utilisation des antimicrobiens, ameliorer les resultats therapeutiques, freiner l’emergence de la resistance aux antimicrobiens, diminuer les infections nosocomiales (notamment par Clostridium difficile ) et reduire les couts des soins de sante. Objectif : Evaluer les perceptions et l’experience des chefs des programmes de gerance des antimicrobiens par rapport a l’attitude et aux habitudes des cliniciens quant a la prescription d’antimicrobiens. Methodes : Dans la presente etude qualitative, des entrevues semistructurees ont ete realisees aupres de 6 responsables de la gerance des antimicrobiens (2 medecins et 4 pharmaciens) dans 3 centres hospitaliers universitaires entre juin et aout 2013. Resultats : Les entrevues ont permis de degager trois themes cles : obtenir le concours des bonnes personnes, etablir des relations collegiales et demontrer un bilan convaincant le plus rapidement possible. Les resultats de l’etude ont permis d’expliquer le role joue par les chefs de programme et autres responsables de la gerance des antimicrobiens ainsi que les mecanismes qu’ils ont utilises pour influencer les autres cliniciens a entreprendre une utilisation reellement efficace des antimicrobiens. Les resultats ont aussi mis en evidence les methodes employees par des membres de l’equipe de gerance des antimicrobiens pour adapter leurs strategies en fonction du contexte local et des parties prenantes des services participants; pour obtenir davantage de credibilite en demontrant les effets du programme sur les resultats cliniques et les couts; et pour amener les hauts dirigeants a soutenir le programme et a y investir, ce qui augmente la credibilite des responsables de la gerance des antimicrobiens et accroit leur capacite a influencer l’adoption d’une utilisation reellement efficace des antimicrobiens. Conclusions : Ensemble, ces resultats aident a mieux comprendre les methodes et mecanismes d’influence employes par les responsables de la gerance des antimicrobiens pour faire en sorte que les cliniciens fassent un meilleur usage des antimicrobiens, ce qui permettra ensuite de guider la mise en oeuvre d’une future gerance des antimicrobiens et de strategies relatives au changement organisationnel dans les hopitaux.

Background Echocardiography is important for the diagnosis of infective endocarditis (IE), for which transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is superior to transthoracic echocardiography (TTE). Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies was performed with the objective of evaluating diagnostic properties of TTE, with transesophageal findings of IE as the reference standard in patients with suspected IE. Results The literature search yielded 377 unique articles, of which 16 met the inclusion criteria. The 16 studies included 2,807 patients, of whom 793 (28%) had vegetations on TEE. For detecting vegetations, harmonic TTE had sensitivity of 61% (95% CI, 45%–75%) and specificity of 94% (95% CI, 85%–98%) with a negative likelihood ratio (NLR) of 0.42 (95% CI, 0.26–0.61). NLR for harmonic TTE can be improved by including only patients without prosthetic valves (NLR = 0.36; 95% CI, 0.22–0.55) or by having strict criteria for conclusively negative results on TTE (NLR = 0.17; 95% CI, 0.10–0.28). In the setting of patients without prosthetic valves, harmonic TTE had likelihood ratios of 0.14 (95% CI, 0.09–0.23) for a conclusively negative result, 0.66 (95% CI, 0.53–0.81) for an indeterminate result, and 14.60 (95% CI, 3.37–70.40) for a positive result. Conclusions Modern harmonic TTE still has the potential to miss many vegetations detected on TEE. When limited to patients without prosthetic valves, a conclusively negative TTE under optimal view greatly decreases likelihood of IE. All other transthoracic results are not useful for ruling out IE, and subsequent TEE is almost always required.

Background Surgical site infections are common causes of healthcare-associated infections. Using surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis (SAP) is a complex process that can reduce these rates if performed correctly. While antimicrobial stewardship programs have developed guidelines for SAP, there has been less focus on understanding and modifying the behavioral and contextual factors required to optimize prophylaxis use. We performed chart reviews and workflow analyses to develop interventions based on a theoretical framework to improve SAP use in two academic hospitals. Methods SAP use during a one month period (October 2016) was analyzed for orthopedic and general surgery procedures by chart review. The primary outcomes of interest included SAP choice, preoperative timing, intraoperative re-dosing, and postoperative continuation. Structured workflow analyses were performed to understand the processes involved in SAP ordering and administration. These findings were applied to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to develop theory-based interventions. Results We reviewed 88 orthopedic and 63 general surgery procedures. Adherence to institutional guidelines for prophylaxis choice was low in both orthopedic (55%) and general surgery (70%). For general surgery, preoperative timing was incorrect in 25% of cases, re-dosing for procedure duration was incorrect in 59% of cases, and re-dosing for blood loss was not routinely performed. Alternatively, for orthopedic surgery cefazolin was re-dosed too early, at a median of 93 minutes (n = 42), and postop antibiotic use was continued for 10 days in all 14 aseptic hip revisions. There was variation in practice patterns among orthopedic surgeons. Using TDF, we identified barriers among numerous theoretical domains for re-dosing (knowledge; memory, attention, and decision processes; environmental context and resources), choice of antibiotic and postoperative duration (knowledge; beliefs about consequences; emotion; social influences). Conclusion We identified suboptimal SAP use in two surgical services, each with distinct deficiencies. Performing in-depth chart reviews and workflow analyses characterized the specific behavioural and contextual barriers that require intervention. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background Antibiotic use has drastically changed the course of modern medicine. However, the overuse and often inappropriate use of antibiotics has led to the development of resistant strains of bacteria. Increasingly, healthcare systems struggle to deal with the burden of fighting infections that no longer respond to common antibiotic-based treatments. One strategy used to combat antibiotic resistance is the implementation of hospital-based Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP). ASP structure among the top U.S hospitals may provide insight into which of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) ASP recommendations are most efficacious given limited resources. We thus administered a survey to better understand the elements of an ASP that are utilized at these top-rated hospitals. Methods We surveyed the 50 highest ranking hospitals in various specialties using the 2015-2016 U.S News lists of top hospitals. This corresponded to 137 adult and 70 pediatric sites. We inquired as to which components of the 2016 IDSA and SHEA ASP guidelines were implemented at each site. Appropriate persons at each hospital were contacted by telephone and email. Results Overall, 102 of 207 hospitals responded (49.3%). Of these 87.2% had an active ASP, and 57.1% were active for more than 5 years. Interventions most widely adopted included prospective auditing of antimicrobial usage (n = 65, 87.8%), pre-authorization of antimicrobials (n = 61, 82.4%), and antimicrobials restricted to infectious disease physicians (n = 52, 70.3%). The most widely implemented optimization strategies included promoting transition from intravenous to oral antibiotics (n = 68, 93.2%) and strategies to minimize antimicrobial therapy duration (n = 56, 76.7%). The least common interventions included antimicrobial time-outs (n = 17, 23.0%) and ASP intervention in cases with high risk of Clostridium Difficile infection (n = 27, 36.5%). The least common optimization strategy was the use of time-sensitive stop orders (n = 27, 37.0%). Conclusion Most leading U.S hospitals selectively implement IDSA and SHEA recommendations. Understanding the structure of ASPs in these hospitals will assist other hospitals in implementing their programs. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Delirium is common during critical illness and associated with adverse outcomes. We compared characteristics and outcomes of delirious and nondelirious patients enrolled in a multicenter trial comparing protocolized sedation with protocolized sedation plus daily sedation interruption.Randomized trial.Sixteen North American medical and surgical ICUs.Four hundred thirty critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults.All patients had hourly titration of opioid and benzodiazepine infusions using a validated sedation scale. For patients in the interruption group, infusions were resumed, if indicated, at half of previous doses. Delirium screening occurred daily; positive screening was defined as an Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist score of 4 or more at any time.Delirium was diagnosed in 226 of 420 assessed patients (53.8%). Coma was identified in 32.7% of delirious compared with 22.7% of nondelirious patients (p = 0.03). The median time to onset of delirium was 3.5 days (interquartile range, 2-7), and the median duration of delirium was 2 days (interquartile range, 1-4). Delirious patients were more likely to be male (61.1% vs 46.6%; p = 0.005), have a surgical/trauma diagnosis (21.2% vs 11.0%; p = 0.030), and history of tobacco (31.5% vs 16.2%; p = 0.002) or alcohol use (34.6% vs 20.9%; p = 0.009). Patients with positive delirium screening had longer duration of ventilation (13 vs 7 d; p0.001), ICU stay (12 vs 8 d; p0.0001), and hospital stay (24 vs 15 d; p0.0001). Delirious patients were more likely to be physically restrained (86.3% vs 76.7%; p = 0.014) and undergo tracheostomy (34.6% vs 15.5%; p0.0001). Antecedent factors independently associated with delirium onset were restraint use (hazard ratio, 1.87; 95% CI, 1.33-2.63; p = 0.0003), antipsychotic administration (hazard ratio, 1.67; 95% CI, 1.005-2.767; p = 0.047), and midazolam dose (hazard ratio, 0.998; 95% CI, 0.997-1.0; p = 0.049). There was no difference in delirium prevalence or duration between the interruption and control groups.In mechanically ventilated adults, delirium was common and associated with longer duration of ventilation and hospitalization. Physical restraint was most strongly associated with delirium.

The aim of this study was to develop a prediction model to identify patients with low-risk Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), in whom infective endocarditis (IE) can be ruled out based on transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE).S. aureus is a major cause of bacteremia and often leads to IE. Current guidelines recommend performing transesophageal echocardiography on all patients or treating all patients empirically with prolonged intravenous antibiotics; however, this approach is resource intensive, many physicians do not adhere to guidelines, and recent studies suggest that low-risk patients may not require transesophageal echocardiography.We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 833 consecutive hospitalized patients with SAB from 7 academic and community hospitals in Toronto, Canada, over a 3-year period (2007 to 2010). Patients who received a TTE within 28 days of bacteremia (n = 536) were randomly divided into derivation and validation cohorts. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine high-risk criteria for IE in the derivation cohort, and criteria were then applied to the validation cohort to determine diagnostic properties.Four high-risk criteria predicted IE: indeterminate or positive TTE (p 0.001), community-acquired bacteremia (p = 0.034), intravenous drug use (p 0.001), and high-risk cardiac condition (p 0.004). In the validation cohort, the presence of any 1 of the high-risk criteria had 97% sensitivity (95% confidence interval [CI]: 87% to 100%) and 99% negative predictive value (95% CI: 96% to 100%) for IE. The negative likelihood ratio was 0.05 (95% CI: 0.007 to 0.35).A normal TTE ruled out IE in patients without community-acquired SAB, high-risk cardiac conditions, and intravenous drug use. This study provides evidence that clinical risk stratification combined with a normal TTE may be adequate to rule out IE in most patients with SAB.

We assessed the impact of infectious disease (ID) consultation on management and outcome in patients with Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB).A retrospective cohort study examined consecutive SAB patients from 6 academic and community hospitals between 2007 and 2010. Quality measures of management including echocardiography, repeat blood culture, removal of infectious foci, and antibiotic therapy were compared between ID consultation (IDC) and no ID consultation (NIDC) groups. A competing risk model with propensity score adjustment was used to compare in-hospital mortality and time to discharge.Of 847 SAB patients, 506 (60%) patients received an ID consultation and 341 (40%) patients did not. Echocardiography was done for 371 (73%) IDC and 191 (56%) NIDC patients (P.0001) in hospital. Blood cultures were repeated within 2-4 days of bacteremia in 207 (41%) IDC and 107 (31%) NIDC patients (P = .0058). The infectious foci removal rate was not statistically different between the 2 groups. For empiric therapy, 474 (94%) IDC and 297 (87%) NIDC patients received appropriate antibiotics (P = .0013). For patients who finished the planned course of antibiotics, 285 of 422 (68%) IDC and 141 of 262 (54%) NIDC patients received the appropriate duration of antibiotic therapy (P = .0004). In hospital, 204 (24%) patients died: 104 of 506 (21%) IDC and 100 of 341 (29%) NIDC patients. Matched by propensity score, ID consultation had a subdistribution hazard ratio of 0.72 (95% confidence interval [CI], .52-.99; P = .0451) for in-hospital mortality and 1.28 (95% CI, 1.06-1.56; P = .0109) for being discharged alive.ID consultation is associated with better adherence to quality measures, reduced in-hospital mortality, and earlier discharge in patients with SAB.

Background Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) and methicillin-resistant S aureus bacteremia (SAB) have both been associated with high morbidity and mortality and heavy consumption of health care resources. We compared clinical and economic data for hospitalized cases of SAB in the context of a publicly funded health care system. Methods A cost analysis was undertaken on an adult cohort of patients from 4 hospitals with SAB diagnosed within 3 days of hospitalization. Primary outcome was direct cost of inpatient care per case, determined at discharge and itemized using a standardized methodology. Results A total of 435 patients were admitted with SAB; 58 had methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). The median length of stay was similar in patients with MRSA and MSSA. There was no significant difference between the groups for mortality. Median direct medical costs of SAB were $12,078. Patients with MRSA had 1.32 times higher direct costs than MSSA. A similar estimate was derived using a propensity score approach ( P = .148). Human health care resources comprised >70% of total costs per case, whereas antibiotics comprised 1%-2%. Conclusion Understanding the dynamics of resource consumption is critical to improving its efficiency and the quality of patient care. Our findings suggest that hospital length of stay and care intensity should be the major focus of any resource assessment exercise.

This paper is meant to broaden the concept of adolescent promiscuity to include male promiscuity and the gender bias that holds females accountable for sexual activity and ignores the role the male has in sexual activity and its consequences. The multiple systems which influence male teenage sexual behavior are examined. Communication patterns, family structure, availability and involvement of parent(s), the influence of gender stereotypes, cultural and ethnic influences, and the effects of the educational system are all examined in light of this broadened concept of male promiscuity. Family therapists possess the kind of knowledge and skills that can alter communication patterns, redefine boundaries, and promote the healthy parental involvement it takes to make an impact on the issue of male sexual promiscuity. Recommendations are made to family therapists with regard to assessment procedures and self-of the-therapist examination. Suggestions for interventions and directives in treatment are giv...

Protocolized sedation and daily sedation interruption are 2 strategies to minimize sedation and reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation and intensive care unit (ICU) stay. We hypothesized that combining these strategies would augment the benefits.To compare protocolized sedation with protocolized sedation plus daily sedation interruption in critically ill patients.Randomized controlled trial of 430 critically ill, mechanically ventilated adults conducted in 16 tertiary care medical and surgical ICUs in Canada and the United States between January 2008 and July 2011.Continuous opioid and/or benzodiazepine infusions and random allocation to protocolized sedation (n = 209) (control) or to protocolized sedation plus daily sedation interruption (n = 214). Using validated scales, nurses titrated infusions to achieve light sedation. For patients receiving daily interruption, nurses resumed infusions, if indicated, at half of previous doses. Patients were assessed for delirium and for readiness for unassisted breathing.Time to successful extubation. Secondary outcomes included duration of stay, doses of sedatives and opioids, unintentional device removal, delirium, and nurse and respiratory therapist clinical workload (on a 10-point visual analog scale [VAS]).Median time to successful extubation was 7 days in both the interruption and control groups (median [IQR], 7 [4-13] vs 7 [3-12]; interruption group hazard ratio, 1.08; 95% CI, 0.86-1.35; P = .52). Duration of ICU stay (median [IQR], 10 [5-17] days vs 10 [6-20] days; P = .36) and hospital stay (median [IQR], 20 [10-36] days vs 20 [10-48] days; P = .42) did not differ between the daily interruption and control groups, respectively. Daily interruption was associated with higher mean daily doses of midazolam (102 mg/d vs 82 mg/d; P = .04) and fentanyl (median [IQR], 550 [50-1850] vs 260 [0-1400]; P.001) and more daily boluses of benzodiazepines (mean, 0.253 vs 0.177; P = .007) and opiates (mean, 2.18 vs 1.79; P.001). Unintentional endotracheal tube removal occurred in 10 of 214 (4.7%) vs 12 of 207 patients (5.8%) in the interruption and control groups, respectively (relative risk, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.36-1.84; P = .64). Rates of delirium were not significantly different between groups (53.3% vs 54.1%; relative risk, 0.98; 95% CI, 0.82-1.17; P = .83). Nurse workload was greater in the interruption group (VAS score, 4.22 vs 3.80; mean difference, 0.41; 95% CI, 0.17-0.66; P = .001).For mechanically ventilated adults managed with protocolized sedation, the addition of daily sedation interruption did not reduce the duration of mechanical ventilation or ICU stay.clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00675363.

The issue of retaining retrospective print journals is examined in light of the shift to electronic titles, the reallocation of library budgets from print to electronic, and the changing research practices of today's library users. This article also examines the evolving role of the physical library and its impact on space allocation.To determine current practice and opinion, a survey of health sciences librarians and academic librarians was conducted. To demonstrate the use patterns of older journal issues, citation analyses and interlibrary loan statistics were examined.All methods indicate that recent material is accessed more frequently than older material, with a significant drop in use of materials greater than 15 years old. Materials greater than 20 years old constituted less than 5% of interlibrary loans and less than 9% of articles noted in the citation analysis.It is possible to eliminate older years of a print journal collection without a large impact on the needs of researchers. Librarians' preference to maintain full runs of journal titles may be motivated by reasons outside of actual usage or patrons needs.

To study the effect of the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or major elective surgery on the apoptosis of circulating polymorphonuclear neutrophils because an activated inflammatory response is terminated, in part, through the programmed cell death, or apoptosis, of its effector cells.A prospective inception cohort study.A mixed surgical and medical intensive care unit of an adult tertiary care hospital.Sixteen patients with SIRS, 7 uninfected patients who had undergone elective aortic aneurysmectomy, and 8 healthy laboratory control subjects.Serial blood samples were drawn for evaluation of neutrophil apoptosis, activational state, and surface receptor expression by flow cytometry.Spontaneous apoptosis was significantly delayed in neutrophils from patients with SIRS (8.6%+/-6.8%) and patients who had undergone elective aortic aneurysmectomy (11.0%+/-5.0%) when compared with controls (34.9%+/-6.8%). These neutrophils were activated as evidenced by enhanced respiratory burst activity and augmented surface expression of CD11b. Apoptosis in response to engagement of cell surface Fas (also known as CD95 or APO-1) with an agonistic antibody was blunted. Plasma from patients with SIRS or patients who had undergone elective aortic aneurysmectomy suppressed the apoptotic responses of control neutrophils (plasma from patients with SIRS, 18.8%+/-10.3%; plasma from patients who had undergone elective aortic aneurysmectomy, 20.0%+/-6.1%; P.01). Western blot analysis showed normal expression of the key proapoptotic proteases, interleukin 1beta converting enzyme and CPP32 (also known as YAMA, apopain, and caspase 3), indicating that delayed apoptosis was not a consequence of decreased levels of proapoptotic enzymes.Circulating neutrophils from patients with SIRS or from patients who have undergone major elective surgery show delayed expression of constitutive programmed cell death, and antiapoptotic factors are present in the general circulation. While prolonged neutrophil survival may represent an appropriate adaptive response to injury, the presence of activated and apoptosis-resistant cells in an antiapoptotic environment may contribute to the systemic inflammatory injury characteristic of SIRS and predispose to the development of the multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.

Although clinical trials of novel mediator-targeted compounds in sepsis employ similar entry criteria, exclusion criteria are variable. We evaluated the impact of variability in such criteria on recruitment of patients into one of three multi-center studies.

Clinical research relevant to the care of critically ill patients has been ongoing for decades. Sponsors of research projects monitor site performance by providing a screen log (SL) which contains a record of enrolled patients (multicentre, uni-project in scope). The present study was undertaken to evaluate the utility of a unicentre, multi-project SL.

Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB), which may be caused by methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA), is a leading cause of bloodstream infections. SAB and MRSA can cause an increase in mortality, result in longer hospital stays and increase medical costs. However, it is possible that MRSA colonization may predict infection. Using a retrospective cohort investigation, this study evaluated the clinical utility of past MRSA screening swabs for predicting methicillin resistance and its use in guiding empirical antibiotic therapy for SAB., BACKGROUND: Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) is an important infection. Methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) screening is performed on hospitalized patients for infection control purposes. OBJECTIVE: To assess the usefulness of past MRSA screening for guiding empirical antibiotic therapy for SAB. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study examined consecutive patients with confirmed SAB and previous MRSA screening swab from six academic and community hospitals between 2007 and 2010. Diagnostic test properties were calculated for MRSA screening swab for predicting methicillin resistance of SAB. RESULTS: A total of 799 patients underwent MRSA screening swabs before SAB. Of the 799 patients, 95 (12%) had a positive and 704 (88%) had a negative previous MRSA screening swab. There were 150 (19%) patients with MRSA bacteremia. Overall, previous MRSA screening swabs had a positive likelihood ratio of 33 (95% CI 18 to 60) and a negative likelihood ratio of 0.45 (95% CI 0.37 to 0.54). Diagnostic accuracy differed depending on mode of acquisition (ie, community-acquired, nosocomial or health care-associated infection) (P