Search

Background: The purpose of syndromic surveillance is early detection of a disease outbreak. Such systems rely on the earliest data, usually chief complaint. The growing use of electronic medical records (EMR) raises the possibility that other data, such as emergency department (ED) diagnosis, may provide more specific information without significant delay, and might be more effective in detecting outbreaks if mechanisms are in place to monitor and report these data.Objective: The purpose of this study is to characterize the added value of the primary ICD-9 diagnosis assigned at the time of ED disposition compared to the chief complaint for patients with influenza-like illness (ILI).Methods: The study was a retrospective analysis of the EMR of a single urban, academic ED with an annual census of over 60, 000 patients per year from June 2005 through May 2006. We evaluate the objective in two ways. First, we characterize the proportion of patients whose ED diagnosis is inconsistent with their chief complaint and the variation by complaint. Second, by comparing time series and applying syndromic detection algorithms, we determine which complaints and diagnoses are the best indicators for the start of the influenza season when compared to the Centers for Disease Control regional data for Influenza-Like Illness for the 2005 to 2006 influenza season using three syndromic surveillance algorithms: univariate cumulative sum (CUSUM), exponentially weighted CUSUM, and multivariate CUSUM.Results: In the first analysis, 29% of patients had a different diagnosis at the time of disposition than suggested by their chief complaint. In the second analysis, complaints and diagnoses consistent with pneumonia, viral illness and upper respiratory infection were together found to be good indicators of the start of the influenza season based on temporal comparison with regional data. In all examples, the diagnosis data outperformed the chief-complaint data.Conclusion: Both analyses suggest the ED diagnosis contains useful information for detection of ILI. Where an EMR is available, the short time lag between complaint and diagnosis may be a price worth paying for additional information despite the brief potential delay in detection, especially considering that detection usually occurs over days rather than hours. [West J Emerg Med. 2010; 11(1):1-9].

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-1[beta]-deficient mice exhibited poor neutrophil recruitment and bacterial clearance during primary infection that was rescued during secondary S. aureus challenge. The [gamma][delta] T cells from skin-draining LNs utilized compensatory T cell-intrinsic TLR2/MyD88 signaling to mediate rescue by trafficking and producing TNF and IFN-[gamma], which restored neutrophil recruitment and promoted bacterial clearance. RNA-sequencing (RNA-seq) of the LNs revealed a clonotypic S. aureus-induced [gamma][delta] T cell expansion with a complementarity-determining region 3 (CDR3) aa sequence identical to that of invariant V[gamma][5.sup.+] dendritic epidermal T cells. However, this T cell receptor [gamma] (TRG) aa sequence of the dominant CDR3 sequence was generated from multiple gene rearrangements of TRGV5 and TRGV6, indicating clonotypic expansion. TNF- and IFN-[gamma]- producing [gamma][delta] T cells were also expanded in peripheral blood of IRAK4-deficient humans no longer predisposed to S. aureus skin infections. Thus, clonally expanded [gamma][delta] T cells represent a mechanism for long-lasting immunity against recurrent S. aureus skin infections., Introduction Staphylococcus aureus is a Gram-positive bacterium that is the most common cause of skin infections in humans and is also an important cause of invasive and life-threatening infections, such [...]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article proposes strategies to enhance the implementation of emergency department (ED)-based antibiotic stewardship programs (ASPs). These include collaboration and engagement among key stakeholders in pediatric, genera, and community EDs, dissemination of best clinical practices, and use of effort-independent mechanisms.

Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are commonly evaluated in the emergency department (ED). Our objectives were to identify predictors of SSTI treatment failure within one week post-discharge in patients with cutaneous abscesses, as well as to identify predictors of recurrence within three months in that proportion of participants. Methods: This was a sub-analysis of a parent study, conducted at two EDs, evaluating a new, nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for Staphylococcus aureus in ED patients. Patients ≥18 years receiving incision and drainage (I&D) were eligible. Patient-reported outcome data on improvement of fever, swelling, erythema, drainage, and pain were collected using a structured abstraction form at one week, one month, and three months post ED visit. Results: We enrolled 272 participants (20 from a feasibility study and 252 in this trial), of which 198 (72.8%) completed one-week follow up. Twenty-seven additional one-week outcomes were obtained through medical record review rather than by the one-week follow-up phone call. One hundred ninety-three (73%) patients completed either the one- or three-month follow up. Most patients recovered from their initial infection within one week, with 10.2% of patients reporting one-week treatment failure. The odds of treatment failure were 66% lower for patients who received antibiotics following I&D at their initial visit. Overall SSTI recurrence rate was 28.0% (95% CI [21.6%-34.4%]) and associated with contact with someone infected with methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), previous SSTI history, or clinician use of wound packing. Conclusion: Treatment failure was reduced by antibiotic use, whereas SSTI recurrence was associated with prior contact, SSTI, or use of packing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background With the acceleration of the hepatitis C (HCV) epidemic in the United States and the ongoing public health impact of undetected human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) co-infection, there is a critical need for enhanced secondary prevention efforts where patients accessing care are not routinely screened. The purpose of this program was to implement routine opt-out HIV and HCV screenings in a high-volume urban emergency department (ED) through the use of an EMR enhancement to increase a provider's likelihood of testing eligible patients, and to provide linkage to care for patients identified to have positive tests. Methods From November 27, 2018 to March 31, 2019, EMR-based HIV and HCV screening was implemented in a quaternary care ED in Northern California. EMR best practice alerts were developed based on a combination of local and CDC guidelines and populated on registered patients receiving blood laboratories or receiving STI testing. Laboratory HIV/HCV screening utilized a unique two-specimen collection scheme to enable molecular testing without requiring patient return visits. Patients were excluded if they chose to opt out from testing or the provider deemed opt out was not possible. Upon notification of a positive test result through the EMR, a patient navigator was responsible for providing disease education and linking patients to care. Results The prevalence of HCV antibody positivity was 9.6% (637/6,627) and 0.97% (55/5,628) for HIV. Of the 255 HCV-RNA positives, 110 were known and 145 newly diagnosed. Of the 90 HIV patients, 31 were known and 8 newly diagnosed. Although current CDC hepatitis C screening guidelines recommend screening all adults born during 1945–1965, we conducted universal screening of adults 18 years or older. Of those screened antibody-positive for HCV 64% fell within the 1945–1965 birth cohort. Conclusion Introducing routine opt-out testing using an automated EMR-based screening program is an effective method to identify and screen eligible patients for HIV and HCV in episodic care safety net settings where universal screenings are not routinely implemented. The unexpectedly high rate of HIV seroprevalence suggests the ED environment continues to be an important setting to access populations not receiving routine care despite longstanding CDC recommendations for universal screening. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Syphilis incidence across all regions of California increased by 22% compared with 2016 cases; with the largest number of chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and congenital syphilis cases among all states (CDC 2017). The USPSTF recommends targeted syphilis screening in patients at increased risk. However, in emergency departments (EDs) targeted syphilis screening is not routinely performed even when patients present for concerns of a sexually transmitted infection (STI). The purpose of this program was to implement routine syphilis screening among ED patients being tested for chlamydia and gonorrhea (CT/GC) through the use of an EHR enhancement to maximize the number of new syphilis diagnoses. Methods From November 27, 2018 to March 31, 2019, EHR-based syphilis screening was implemented in a quaternary care ED in Northern California serving urban and rural populations. EMR best practice alerts (BPA) were developed and populated on patients receiving STI testing. Syphilis testing employed a reverse sequence algorithm, which is suggested for high prevalence settings and provides rapid turnaround time. Patients were excluded if they opted out from testing. We determined the proportion of all CT/GC tested patients who underwent syphilis screening and the prevalence of syphilis among this group. Results During a four-month period, 649 ED patients with suspected STI received a BPA to screen for syphilis. Of those, 425 patients (65.5%) were screened for syphilis, 22 had a reactive IgG/IgM and RPR, while 5 patients had a reactive IgG/IgM and a nonreactive RPR which required a TPPA test to detect their infection. Fourteen of the 22 patients with a reactive RPR had titers of 1:32 or higher. Nine (32%) of those with a positive CT/GC test tested positive for syphilis. Conclusion Implementation of a syphilis screening program in patients undergoing testing for other STIs yielded 28 new diagnoses compared with those tested prior to the screening in 2018. Introducing an automated EMR-based syphilis screening program is an effective method to maximize syphilis screening in all ED patients seeking treatment for STIs. The screening data suggest that the majority of patients undergoing STI testing in our ED are not screened for syphilis, yet the prevalence of infection in those screened is substantial. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• We report the first ED-based COVID-19 vaccination program. • COVID-19 vaccine delivery in the ED is feasible. • ED vaccination can increase uptake in populations without access to care. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of implementing an emergency department (ED)-based Coronavirus Disease of 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination protocol in a population of unhoused patients. On June 10, 2021, a best practice alert (BPA) was implemented that fired when an ED provider opened the charts of unhoused patients and prompted the provider to order COVID-19 vaccination for eligible patients. We downloaded electronic medical record data of patients who received a COVID-19 vaccine in the ED between June 10, 2021 and August 26, 2021. The outcomes of interest were the number of unhoused, and the total number of patients vaccinated for COVID-19 during the study period. Data were described with simple descriptive statistics. There were 25,871 patient encounters in 19,992 unique patients (mean 1.3 visits/patient) in the emergency department during the study period. There were 1,474 (6% of total ED population) visits in 1,085 unique patients who were unhoused (mean 1.4 visits/patient). The BPA fired in 1,046 unhoused patient encounters (71% of PEH encounters) and was accepted in 79 (8%). Forty-three unhoused patients were vaccinated as a result of the BPA (4% of BPA fires) and 18 unhoused patients were vaccinated without BPA prompting. An additional 76 domiciled patients were vaccinated in the ED. Implementing an ED-based COVID-19 vaccination program is feasible, however, only a small number of patients underwent COVID-19 vaccination. Further studies are needed to explore the utility of using the ED as a setting for COVID-19 vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several molecular platforms can identify bacteria associated with bloodstream infections but require positive culture bottles as starting material. Here, we describe results of screening 1140 blood cultures at 8 h postinoculation, from 918 eligible adults being evaluated for bloodstream infection. DNA was extracted and analyzed by 16S and/or 23S rRNA real-time PCR/pyrosequencing. Compared to culture, PCR/pyrosequencing displayed 90.9% sensitivity, 99.6% specificity, 95.7% positive predictive value, and 99.1% negative predictive value. Overall concordance rate was 98.9% (1127/1140). In 4 cases with molecular-positive/culture-negative results, medical chart reviews provided evidence of identical bacteria from subsequent blood or concomitant urine/sputum cultures. Nine culture-positive/molecular-negative cases were associated with either polymicrobial growth, grew only in the anaerobic bottle of the clinical pair, and/or were detected by PCR/pyrosequencing after 8 h. In summary, this approach accurately detected and identified bacteria in ~91% of culture-confirmed cases significantly sooner than the phenotypic identification was available, having the potential to improve antibiotic stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High rates of asymptomatic infections with COVID-19 have been reported.Objective: We aimed to describe an asymptomatic COVID-19 testing protocol in a pediatric emergency department (ED).Methods: This 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.Results: There 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.Conclusions: Asymptomatic 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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Clinical decision support (CDS) has promise for the implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) in the emergency department (ED). We sought to assess the usability of a newly developed automated CDS to improve guideline-adherent antibiotic prescribing for pediatric community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and urinary tract infection (UTI)., Methods: We conducted comparative usability testing between an automated, prototype CDS-enhanced discharge order set and standard order set, for pediatric CAP and UTI antibiotic prescribing. After an extensive user-centered design process, the prototype CDS was integrated into the electronic health record, used passive activation, and embedded locally adapted prescribing guidelines. Participants were randomized to interact with three simulated ED scenarios of children with CAP or UTI, across both systems. Measures included task completion, decision-making and usability errors, clinical actions (order set use and correct antibiotic selection), as well as objective measures of system usability, utility, and workload using the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index (NASA-TLX). The prototype CDS was iteratively refined to optimize usability and workflow., Results: Usability testing in 21 ED clinical providers demonstrated that, compared to the standard order sets, providers preferred the prototype CDS, with improvements in domains such as explanations of suggested antibiotic choices ( p  < 0.001) and provision of additional resources on antibiotic prescription ( p  < 0.001). Simulated use of the CDS also led to overall improved guideline-adherent prescribing, with a 31% improvement for CAP. A trend was present toward absolute workload reduction. Using the NASA-TLX, workload scores for the current system were median 26, interquartile ranges (IQR): 11 to 41 versus median 25, and IQR: 10.5 to 39.5 for the CDS system ( p  = 0.117)., Conclusion: Our CDS-enhanced discharge order set for ED antibiotic prescribing was strongly preferred by users, improved the accuracy of antibiotic prescribing, and trended toward reduced provider workload. The CDS was optimized for impact on guideline-adherent antibiotic prescribing from the ED and end-user acceptability to support future evaluative trials of ED ASPs., Competing Interests: None declared., (Thieme. All rights reserved.)

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.

Objective: This study was aimed to explore the intersection between organizational environment, workflow, and technology in pediatric emergency departments (EDs) and how these factors impact antibiotic prescribing decisions., Methods: Semistructured interviews with 17 providers (1 fellow and 16 attending faculty), and observations of 21 providers (1 physician assistant, 5 residents, 3 fellows, and 12 attendings) were conducted at three EDs in the United States. We analyzed interview transcripts and observation notes using thematic analysis., Results: Seven themes relating to antibiotic prescribing decisions emerged as follows: (1) professional judgement, (2) cognition as a critical individual resource, (3) decision support as a critical organizational resource, (4) patient management with imperfect information, (5) information-seeking as a primary task, (6) time management, and (7) broad process boundaries of antibiotic prescribing., Discussion: The emerging interrelated themes identified in this study can be used as a blueprint to design, implement, and evaluate clinical decision support (CDS) systems that support antibiotic prescribing in EDs. The process boundaries of antibiotic prescribing are broader than the current boundaries covered by existing CDS systems. Incongruities between process boundaries and CDS can under-support clinicians and lead to suboptimal decisions. We identified two incongruities: (1) the lack of acknowledgment that the process boundaries go beyond the physical boundaries of the ED and (2) the lack of integration of information sources (e.g., accessibility to prior cultures on an individual patient outside of the organization)., Conclusion: Significant opportunities exist to improve appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing by considering process boundaries in the design, implementation, and evaluation of CDS systems., Competing Interests: None declared., (Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.)

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.

The Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay is a fast, automated in vitro diagnostic test for qualitative detection and differentiation of influenza A and B viruses and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) performed on the Cepheid GeneXpert Xpress System. The objective of this study was to establish performance characteristics of the Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay compared to those of the Prodesse ProFlu+ real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR) assay (ProFlu+) for the detection of influenza A and B viruses as well as RSV in a Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA)-waived (CW) setting. Overall, the assay, using fresh and frozen nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, demonstrated high concordance with results of the ProFlu+ assay in the combined CW and non-CW settings with positive percent agreements (PPA) (100%, 100%, and 97.1%) and negative percent agreements (NPA) (95.2%, 99.5%, and 99.6%) for influenza A and B viruses and RSV, respectively. In conclusion, this multicenter study using the Cepheid Xpert Flu+RSV Xpress Assay demonstrated high sensitivities and specificities for influenza A and B viruses and RSV in ∼60 min for use at the point-of-care in the CW setting., (Copyright © 2018 American Society for Microbiology.)

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., (© The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.)