Abstract Background Minimal literature exists to demonstrate the quantitative impact of bedside nurses in antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). We initiated bedside nurse-driven AMS and infection prevention (AMS/IP) rounds on three inpatient telemetry units of a community regional medical center. Rounds were nurse-driven, involved an infectious diseases (ID) pharmacist and infection preventionist, and were designed to complement traditional ID pharmacist and ID physician AMS rounds. Rounds were focused on use of antibiotics, urinary catheters (UCs), and central venous catheters (CVCs). Recommendations from rounds were communicated by the bedside nurse either directly to providers or to the ID pharmacist and ID physician for intervention. Methods This was an observational, multiple-group, quasi-experimental study conducted over 3.5 years (July 2015 to December 2018) to characterize the impact of bedside nurse-driven AMS/IP rounds on antibiotic, urinary catheter and CVC use, hospital-onset C. difficile infection (CDI), catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTI), and central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI). Outcomes were assessed in two cohorts based on time of AMS/IP rounds implementation (Cohort 1 implemented on one telemetry unit in July 2016, Cohort 2 implemented in two telemetry units in January 2018). Results A total of 2,273 patient therapy reviews occurred (Cohort 1: 1,736; Cohort 2: 537). Of these reviews, 1,209 (53%) were antibiotics, 879 (39%) were urinary catheters, and 185 (8%) were CVCs. Pre- vs. post-intervention, significant reductions were observed in both cohorts for mean monthly antibiotic days of therapy per 1,000 patient-days (Cohort 1: 791 vs. 688, P < 0.001; Cohort 2: 615 vs. 492, P < 0.001), UC days per patient day (Cohort 1: 0.25 vs. 0.16, P < 0.001; Cohort 2: 0.19 vs. 0.14, P < 0.001), CVC days per patient day (Cohort 1: 0.15 vs. 0.11, = 0.002; Cohort 2: 0.09 vs. 0.07, p = 0.005), and CDI per 10,000 patient-days (Cohort 1: 17.8 vs. 7.1, p = 0.035; Cohort 2: 19.1 vs. 5.4, p = 0.003). Numerical reductions were observed in CAUTI and CLABSI per 10,000 patient-days. Conclusion Bedside nurses can improve AMS and IP outcomes in a scalable fashion when supported by an interdisciplinary AMS/IP team and are complimentary to traditional AMS and IP practices. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.
Pneumocystis carinii pneumonia remains a common cause of serious morbidity and mortality in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). The extensive lung injury that accompanies pneumocystis-associated respiratory failure and the reports of clinical benefit from the use of adjunctive corticosteroids provided the rationale for this prospective multicenter trial.
Studies of inpatient coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) mortality risk factors have mainly used data from academic medical centers or large multihospital databases and have not examined populations with large proportions of Hispanic/Latino patients. In a retrospective cohort study of 4881 consecutive adult COVID-19 hospitalizations at a single community hospital in Los Angeles County with a majority Hispanic/Latino population, we evaluated factors associated with mortality.Data on demographic characteristics, comorbidities, laboratory and clinical results, and COVID-19 therapeutics were abstracted from the electronic medical record. Cox proportional hazards regression modeled statistically significant, independently associated predictors of hospital mortality.Age ≥65 years (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.66; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.90-3.72), male sex (HR = 1.31; 95% CI = 1.07-1.60), renal disease (HR = 1.52; 95% CI = 1.18-1.95), cardiovascular disease (HR = 1.45; 95% CI = 1.18-1.78), neurological disease (HR = 1.84; 95% CI = 1.41-2.39), D-dimer ≥500 ng/mL (HR = 2.07; 95% CI = 1.43-3.0), and pulse oxygen level <88% (HR = 1.39; 95% CI = 1.13-1.71) were independently associated with increased mortality. Patient household with (1) multiple COVID-19 cases and (2) Asian, Black, or Hispanic compared with White non-Hispanic race/ethnicity were associated with reduced mortality. In hypoxic COVID-19 inpatients, remdesivir, tocilizumab, and convalescent plasma were associated with reduced mortality, and corticosteroid use was associated with increased mortality.We corroborate several previously identified mortality risk factors and find evidence that the combination of factors associated with mortality differ between populations.
The bedside nurse is a frequently underutilized but potentially valuable contributor to antimicrobial stewardship. Minimal literature exists to demonstrate the impact of active intervention by bedside nurses in antimicrobial stewardship. We initiated bedside nurse-driven interdisciplinary rounds in a 31-bed inpatient telemetry unit of a community teaching hospital involving a pharmacist, infection preventionist and nurse practitioner. Rounds were focused on use of antibiotics, acid suppressants, urinary catheters and central venous catheters. Recommendations from rounds were communicated by the bedside nurse to the appropriate provider. This was a prospective, observational pre- and post-intervention study (6 months in each cohort) to characterize the impact of bedside nurse-driven interdisciplinary rounds on use of antibiotics, acid suppressants, urinary catheters and central venous catheters in a telemetry unit. A total of 515 patient encounters occurred during rounds with 663 total therapies reviewed. Of these therapies 245 (37%) were antibiotics, 220 (33%) were acid suppressants, 159 (24%) were urinary catheters and 39 (6%) were central venous catheters. Mean monthly acid suppressant days of therapy per 1000 patient-days (DOT/1000PD) was significantly reduced in the pre- vs. post-intervention cohorts (592 vs. 375, P = 0.001). Reductions in mean monthly antibiotic DOT/1000PD (2858 vs. 2668, P = 0.134) and urinary catheter days (176 vs. 135, P = 0.087) were observed but were not statistically significant. Central venous catheter days were similar in the pre- vs post-intervention cohorts (100 vs. 96, P = 0.657). Our data demonstrate that bedside nurses can contribute to antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention outcomes when actively supported by a trained interdisciplinary team. Further study of strategies to engage bedside nurses in such activities is warranted. All authors: No reported disclosures.
Antibiotics are one of the most significant medical discoveries in human history. The widespread use of antibiotics has resulted in the emergence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. This fact, coupled with the paucity of new antibiotic developments, has spurred efforts to combat antibiotic resistance. One of the most critical components of these efforts is antibiotic stewardship, a multidisciplinary endeavor, employing a collection of interventions in a variety of health care settings with the aim of promoting appropriate utilization of antibiotics. This article describes antibiotic stewardship programs and key practices used to minimize the development and spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens including the optimization of antibiotic pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics, the application of rapid diagnostic tools, and the use of computerized provider order entry tools.
