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Background To decrease hospital readmission rates, clinical practices create a transition of care (TOC) process to assess patients and coordinate care postdischarge. As current evidence suggests lack of universal benefit, this study's objectives are to determine what patient and process factors associate with hospital readmissions, as well as construct a model to decrease 30-day readmissions. Methods Three months of retrospective discharged patient data (n = 123) were analysed for readmission influences including: patient-specific comorbidities, admission-specific diagnoses, and TOC components. A structured intervention of weekly contact, the Care Coordination Cocoon (CCC), was created for multiply readmitted patients (MRPs), defined as ≥2 readmissions. Three months of postintervention data (n = 141) were analysed. Overall readmission rates and patient- and process-specific characteristics were analysed for associations with hospital readmission. Results Standard TOC lacked significance. Patient-specific comorbidities of cancer (odds ratio [OR] 6.27; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.73–22.75) and coronary artery disease (OR 6.71; 95% CI 1.84–24.46), and admission-specific diagnoses within pulmonary system admissions (OR 7.20; 95% CI 1.96–26.41) were associated with readmissions. Post-CCC data demonstrated a 48-h call (OR 0.21; 95% CI 0.09–0.50), answered calls (OR 0.16; CI 0.07–0.38), 14-day scheduled visit (OR 0.20; 95% CI 0.07–0.54), and visit arrival (OR 0.39; 95% CI 0.17–0.91) independently associated with decreased readmission rate. Patient-specific (hypertension—OR 3.65; CI 1.03–12.87) and admission-specific (nephrologic system—OR 3.22; CI 1.02–10.14) factors associated with readmissions which differed from the initial analysis. Conclusions Targeting a practice's MRPs with CCC resources improves the association of TOC components with readmissions and rates decreased. This is a more efficient use of TOC resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Desirability of outcome ranking (DOOR) is an emerging approach to clinical trial outcome measurement using an ordinal scale to incorporate efficacy and safety endpoints. Methods We applied a previously validated DOOR endpoint to a cohort of CAMERA2 trial participants with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (MRSAB). Participants were randomly assigned to standard therapy, or to standard therapy plus an antistaphylococcal β-lactam (combination therapy). Each participant was assigned a DOOR category, within which they were further ranked according to their hospital length of stay (LOS) and duration of intravenous antibiotic treatment. We calculated the probability and the generalized odds ratio of participants receiving combination therapy having worse outcomes than those receiving standard therapy. Results Participants assigned combination therapy had a 54.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 48.9%–60.1%; P =.11) probability and a 1.2-fold odds (95% CI,.95–1.50; P =.12) of having a worse outcome than participants on standard therapy. When further ranked according to LOS and duration of antibiotic treatment, participants in the combination group had a 55.6% (95% CI, 49.5%–61.7%) and 55.3% (95% CI, 49.2%–61.4%) probability of having a worse outcome than participants in the standard treatment group, respectively. Conclusions When considering both efficacy and safety, treatment of MRSAB with a combination of standard therapy and a β-lactam likely results in a worse clinical outcome than standard therapy. However, a small benefit of combination therapy cannot be excluded. Most likely the toxicity of combination therapy outweighed any benefit from faster clearance of bacteremia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accepted by: Phil Scarf We present a player rating system for One-Day International (ODI) cricket using the Modified Duckworth-Lewis model. We used ball-by-ball data of 1764 uninterrupted One-Day International (ODI) matches played from January 2004 to June 2021 to estimate model parameters. The proposed method is then used to rate players who appeared in the ICC Men's World Cup 2019. The method is novel because the rating depends on the state of the match, so that pressure and non-pressure situations are accounted for. The method also considers a pitch effect (high or low run scoring). Moreover, the batsman performance can be compared to all-rounder and bowling performances. The results rate Shakib Al Hassan of Bangladesh as the tournament's best player, followed by R.G. Sharma (India) and J.J. Roy (England). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Studies may underestimate the impact of antibiotics on bacterial resistance when correlating hospital antibiotic use with resistance rates (RRs) that exclude duplicate cultures as duplicates usually include more resistant isolates. Comparing correlations between antibiotic consumption and RRs resulting from different strategies for excluding duplicates could help explore how their exclusion affects such correlations. Methods We obtained antibiotics consumption and Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptibility data from 2017 to 2021 for seven antibiotics and for carbapenems as a group in a university hospital. We calculated RRs using seven different time criteria for excluding duplicates. We assessed the correlations of antibiotic consumption to the same-year and next-year RR rates for the three most distinct rates. Results Duplicate cultures represented 53.45% of total cultures. RRs were higher when duplicates were included. We compared RRs resulting from excluding all duplicates, excluding duplicates monthly or admitting one culture per day. All antibiotics except meropenem showed a correlation with same-year RRs, either positive or negative, whereas all antibiotics showed a positive correlation with next-year RRs. For same-year and next-year correlations, the criteria with fewer duplicates (and therefore fewer resistant strains) found more correlations. However, the inclusion of duplicates taken at least 1 month apart found the most correlations. Admitting one culture per day found the fewest correlations. Conclusions Excluding duplicates from RRs affects the correlation of antibiotics consumption with RRs in P. aeruginosa. Including at least some duplicate cultures in correlation analyses, such as those taken 1 month apart, should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Respiratory diseases have been global public health problems for a long time. In recent years, air pollutants as important risk factors have drawn lots of attention. In this study, we investigate the influence of |$\pm2.5$| (particulate matters in diameter less than 2.5 |${\rm{\mu }} m$|⁠) on hospital visit rates for respiratory diseases in Taiwan. To reveal the spatiotemporal pattern of data, we propose a Bayesian disease mapping model with spatially varying coefficients and a parametric temporal trend. Model fitting is conducted using the integrated nested Laplace approximation, which is a widely applied technique for large-scale data sets due to its high computational efficiency. The finite sample performance of the proposed method is studied through a series of simulations. As demonstrated by simulations, the proposed model can improve both the parameter estimation performance and the prediction performance. We apply the proposed model on the respiratory disease data in 328 third-level administrative regions in Taiwan and find significant associations between hospital visit rates and |$\pm2.5$|⁠. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, there has been a relative paucity of applicants to infectious disease fellowships. This leads to a significant number of programs being unfilled in the fellowship match. We sought to identify predictors of a program filling all positions offered in the match through retrospective review of available match and program data for the 2019–2021 match cycles. In the 2021 match, hospital and research rankings were associated with filling, as were offering specialized training tracks and having an active Twitter account. Knowledge of these associations can help programs direct resources to optimize recruitment and enrichment of infectious disease fellows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims This study aims to quantify antimicrobial consumption (AMC) and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in tertiary care hospitals in Pakistan. Methods and results This observational study was conducted at two tertiary care hospitals of Pakistan over a 1-year period. The AMC and resistance patterns of Escherichia coli isolates collected from hospitals were observed and analysed using the pearson correlation coefficient. AMC in hospitals varied between 0.00186 and 0.72 (Mean = 0.12 ± 0.191) Defined Daily Dose (DDDs)/1000 patient-days. Fluoroquinolones were the most consumed antimicrobial followed by penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, and aminoglycosides. Antimicrobial-resistant rates in hospitals varied between 92.2% and 34.6%. The highest resistance rate was observed for moxifloxacin, followed by ampicillin, cefotaxime, amoxicillin, ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, amoxiclav, and amikacin. Statistically significant association was found between AMC and resistance rate for ampicillin (r = 0.78, P  = 0.032), cefotaxime (r = 0.87, P  = 0.012), ceftriaxone (r = 0.67, P  = 0.042), and ciprofloxacin (r = 0.63, P  = 0.031). Additionally, there was a significant association between fluoroquinolone consumption and the resistance rate of third generation cephalosporins (r = 0.61, P  = 0.032), and significance was also found when all antimicrobials were combined into 1 analysis (r = 0.721, P  = 0.032). Conclusion This data documented a significant association between AMC and resistant rates for multiple antimicrobial agents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To assess the rate of medication adherence, facilitators and barriers to medication adherence among elderly. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess the medication adherence level and the patient reported facilitators and barriers using medication adherence rating scale and a prevalidated questionnaire, respectively amongst the geriatric patients who were hospitalised in a south India tertiary care hospital. Data thus collected were categorically analysed. Predictors were assessed using odds ratio at 95% confidence interval. Key Findings A total of 401 patients were enrolled, majority [220 (54.86%)] were adherent to the medications. The barriers identified included forgetfulness, carelessness, lack of awareness about the disease and medication, illiteracy, lack of regular follow up and visit, social stigma on disease, polypharmacy and adverse effects. The facilitators included good access to the health care system, patient counselling, regular follow-up, and refill. The age group of 71–80 years [OR 2.02 (95% CI, 1.31–3.13)], illiteracy [OR 2.34 (95% CI 1.38–3.98)], single as marital status [OR 3.64 (95% CI, 1.13–11.67)], comorbidities (≥5) [OR 3.91 (95% CI, 1.78–8.60)], discharge medications (>11) [OR 3.11 (95% CI, 1.55–6.26)], lack of awareness about the disease [OR 1.99 (95% CI, 1.30–3.032)] were found to be significant predisposing factors. Conclusions This study reveals as several predictive factors were identified for medication nonadherence which can aid in developing strategies to improve medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When a ranking of institutions such as medical centers or universities is based on a numerical measure of performance provided with a standard error, confidence intervals (CIs) should be calculated to assess the uncertainty of these ranks. We present a novel method based on Tukey's honest significant difference test to construct simultaneous CIs for the true ranks. When all the true performances are equal, the probability of coverage of our method attains the nominal level. In case the true performance measures have no exact ties, our method is conservative. For this situation, we propose a rescaling method to the nominal level that results in shorter CIs while keeping control of the simultaneous coverage. We also show that a similar rescaling can be applied to correct a recently proposed Monte‐Carlo based method, which is anticonservative. After rescaling, the two methods perform very similarly. However, the rescaling of the Monte‐Carlo based method is computationally much more demanding and becomes infeasible when the number of institutions is larger than 30–50. We discuss another recently proposed method similar to ours based on simultaneous CIs for the true performance. We show that our method provides uniformly shorter CIs for the same confidence level. We illustrate the superiority of our new methods with a data analysis for travel time to work in the United States and on rankings of 64 hospitals in the Netherlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This meta-analysis aims to find out the impact of pharmacists on clinical outcomes of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS). Method Articles were searched and analyzed based on quality assessed through the JSM quality assessment tool to filter articles with a low level of bias. Two thousand three hundred sixty articles were reviewed for initial screening and 28 articles were included for critical analysis. Statistical analysis used to risk ratio (RR) and standard mean differences calculated using Review manager 5.4. Confidence intervals (CI 95%) were calculated using the fixed-effect model. The I2 statistic assessed heterogeneity. A random-effect model performed in the case of statistical heterogeneity, subgroup and sensitivity analyses. The primary outcome is mortality and inappropriateness, whereas the secondary outcome is cost, readmission, length of stay, consumption and duration of therapy. Result A detailed review and analysis of 28 AMSs programs led by pharmacists showed low inappropriateness with pharmacist versus without pharmacist RR = 0.36 with 95% CI of (0.32 to 0.39) and mortality RR is 0.68 with 95% CI of 0.59 to 0.79. Secondary outcomes such as consumption, length of stay, duration of therapy and cost are standard mean difference of −1.61 with 95% CI (−1.72 to −1.50), −0.58 with 95% CI (−0.62 to −0.53), −0.95 with 95% CI (−1.01 to −0.89) and −0.99 with 95% CI (−1.12 to −0.86), respectively, whereas for 30 days readmission is RR = 0.81 with 95% CI (0.70 to 0.93). Conclusion AMS with pharmacist effectively reduces mortality, inappropriateness, cost, length of stay, duration of treatment, consumption of antimicrobials and the return rate to hospital. So it is suggested pharmacists should lead or play a vital role in antimicrobial stewardship programs to get better outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Many Spanish hospitals converted scheduled in-person visits to telephone visits during the COVID-19 lockdown. There is scarce information about the performance of those visits. Aim To compare telephone visits during the COVID-19 lockdown period with previous in-person visits. Design Retrospective descriptive study. Methods Telephone visits from 15 March to 31 May 2020 were compared with in-person visits during the same period in 2019. Main measures The proportions of both groups were compared in term of failure to contact patient, requested diagnostic tests/referrals, discharges, admissions and emergency visits within 30–60 days. A sample of patients, and all participating physicians completed surveys. Z -score test was used (statistical significance P <0.05). Results A total of 5602 telephone visits were conducted. In comparison to in-person visits, telephone visits showed higher rates of visit compliance (95.9% vs. 85.2%, P <0.001) and discharges (22.12% vs. 11.82%; P <0.001), and lower number of ancillary tests and referrals. During the 30- and 60-day periods following the telephone visit, a reduction of 52% and 47% in the combined number of emergency department visits and hospital admissions was observed compared to in-person visits (P <0.01). Of the 120 patients surveyed, 95% were satisfied/very satisfied with the telephone visits. Of the 26 physicians, 84.6% considered telephone visits were useful to prioritize patients. Conclusions During health emergencies, previously scheduled outpatient in-person visits can be converted to telephone visits, reducing absenteeism, increasing the rate of discharges and reducing ancillary tests and referrals without increasing the rate of hospital admissions or emergency department visits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES We retrospectively analysed outcomes of debridement and primary sternal closure for postoperative mediastinitis in children. METHODS Between January 2007 and July 2019, 1285 patients under the age of 20 years underwent congenital heart surgery at the Iwate Medical University. Of these, 22 children had postoperative mediastinitis (1.7%). We performed adequate debridement and primary sternal closure with pectoralis major muscle advancement flaps. We evaluated hospital survival rates, reintervention, duration of intravenous antibiotic treatment, intensive care unit (ICU) stay and hospital stay. RESULTS The median age and weight at surgery were 12.5 months (range 0–228 months) and 7.8 kg (range 2.2–64.2 kg), respectively. Two patients (9%) had a history of delayed sternal closure. Staphylococcus was the most common causative agent for infection (82%). All cases were categorized as Robicsek's classification type II mediastinitis. The hospital survival rate was 95%, and freedom from reintervention for infectious complications was observed in 91% of the patients. The median durations of intravenous antibiotic treatment, ICU stay and hospital stay were 18 days (range 9–46 days), 4 days (range 1–87 days) and 22.5 days (range 11–87 days). The median follow-up time was 89 months (range 2–148 months), and there was no evidence of recurrent mediastinitis, musculoskeletal growth, physical deformity, breast development and upper trunk or limb movement. CONCLUSIONS Primary sternal closure is an effective procedure for children as it can significantly shorten treatment duration and reduce physical and psychological burdens. Its results compare favourably with those of conventional therapy in terms of mortality and complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES We aimed to identify predictors of postoperative permanent neurological deficits (PNDs) and evaluate the early management of cerebral perfusion in patients undergoing surgical repair of acute type A aortic dissection with cerebral malperfusion. METHODS Between October 2009 and September 2018, a total of 197 patients with acute type A aortic dissection underwent aortic replacement. Of these, 42 (21.3%) patients had an imaging cerebral malperfusion (ICM). ICM was assessed preoperatively, which also revealed whether dissected supra-aortic branch vessels were occluded or narrowed by a thrombosed false lumen. After September 2017, early reperfusion and extra-anatomic revascularization were performed in cases with ICM. RESULTS Hospital mortality rates for cases with ICM were 4.8% (2/42). Before September 2017, PND were observed in 6 patients (54.5%) with preoperative neurological symptoms (n  = 11), and 7 patients (33.3%) without neurological symptoms (n  = 21) in patients with ICM. Occlusion or severe stenosis of supra-aortic branch vessels (odds ratio, 7.66; P  <   0.001), regardless of preoperative clinical neurological symptoms, was a risk factor for PND. After September 2017, 7 of 10 patients with ICM underwent early reperfusion and extra-anatomic revascularization. PND did not occur in any of these 7 patients. CONCLUSIONS Occlusion or severe stenosis of supra-aortic branch vessels is a predictor of PND risk in patients undergoing surgery for acute type A aortic dissection. Early reperfusion and extra-anatomic revascularization may reduce the risk of neurological complications in patients with ICM, with or without neurological symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify how features of the community in which a hospital serves differentially relate to its patients' experiences based on the quality of that hospital.Design: A Finite Mixture Model (FMM) is used to uncover a mix of two latent groups of hospitals that differ in quality. In the FMM, a multinomial logistic equation relates hospital-level factors to the odds of being in either group. And a multiple linear regression relates the characteristics of communities served by hospitals to the patients' expected ratings of their experiences at hospitals in each group. Thus, this association potentially varies with hospital quality. The analysis was conducted via Stata.Setting: Hospital Ratings are measured by Hospital Compare using the HCAHPS survey, a patient satisfaction survey required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for hospitals in the United States. Participants: 2,816 Medicare-certified acute care hospitals across all US states. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate disparity in service quality between second- and third-tier hospitals and explore factors that affect patients' perception of service quality in China.Design: Cross sectional study.Setting: Twelve hospitals in China.Participants: 5714 patients.Intervention: None.Main Outcome Measure: Total score of the SERVQUAL scale and each of its five dimensions.Results: Patients from third-tier hospitals rated significantly higher scores overall and in all the five dimensions of the SERVQUAL scale. Those with lower education, urban residents and those who had higher degree of life satisfaction and attention paid to health perceived higher service quality. Inpatients perceived higher service quality compared with outpatients.Conclusion: We found a significant gap in patient's perceived service quality between second- and third-tier hospitals in China. A variety of demographic and personality factors were found to significantly influence patient's perceived service quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Question: Are there ways to mitigate the challenges associated with imperfect data validity in Patient Safety Indicator (PSI) report cards?Findings: Applying a methodological framework on simulated PSI report card data, we compare the adjusted PSI rates of three hospitals with variable quality of data and coding. This framework combines (i) a measure of PSI rates using existing algorithms; (ii) a medical record review on a small random sample of charts to produce a measure of hospital-specific data validity and (iii) a simple Bayesian calculation to derive estimated true PSI rates. For example, the estimated true PSI rate, for a theoretical hospital with a moderately good quality of coding, could be three times as high as the measured rate (for example, 1.4% rather than 0.5%). For a theoretical hospital with relatively poor quality of coding, the difference could be 50-fold (for example, 5.0% rather than 0.1%).Meaning: Combining a medical chart review on a limited number of medical charts at the hospital level creates an approach to producing health system report cards with estimates of true hospital-level adverse event rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To highlight clinical and operational issues, identify factors that shape patient responses in Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS) and test the correlations between composite measures and overall hospital ratings. Design Responses to HCAHPS surveys were used in a partial correlation analysis to ascertain those HCAHPS composite measures that most relate to overall hospital ratings. The linear mean scores for the composite measures and individual and global items were analyzed with descriptive analysis and correlation analysis via JMP and SPSS statistical software. Setting HCAHPS is a patient satisfaction survey required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for hospitals in the USA. The survey is for adult inpatients, excluding psychiatric patients. Participants 3382 US hospitals. Intervention None. Main Outcome Measure Pearson correlation coefficients for the six composite measures and overall hospital rating. Results The partial correlations for overall hospital rating and three composite measures are positive and moderately strong for care transition (0.445) and nurse communication (0.369) and weak for doctor communication (0.066). Conclusions From a health policy standpoint, it is imperative that hospital administrators stress open and clear communication between providers and patients to avoid problems ranging from misdiagnosis to incorrect treatment. Additional research is needed to determine how the coronavirus of 2019 pandemic influences patients' perceptions of quality and willingness to recommend hospitals at a time when nurses and physicians show symptoms of burnout due to heavy workloads and inadequate personal protective equipment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Surgery is increasingly being omitted in older patients with operable breast cancer in the Netherlands. Although omission of surgery can be considered in frail older patients, it may lead to inferior outcomes in non‐frail patients. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of omission of surgery on relative and overall survival in older patients with operable breast cancer. Methods: Patients aged 80 years or older diagnosed with stage I–II hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer between 2003 and 2009 were selected from the Netherlands Cancer Registry. An instrumental variable approach was applied to minimize confounding, using hospital variation in rate of primary surgery. Relative and overall survival was compared between patients treated in hospitals with different rates of surgery. Results: Overall, 6464 patients were included. Relative survival was lower for patients treated in hospitals with lower compared with higher surgical rates (90·2 versus 92·4 per cent respectively after 5 years; 71·6 versus 88·2 per cent after 10 years). The relative excess risk for patients treated in hospitals with lower surgical rates was 2·00 (95 per cent c.i. 1·17 to 3·40). Overall survival rates were also lower among patients treated in hospitals with lower compared with higher surgical rates (48·3 versus 51·3 per cent after 5 years; 15·0 versus 19·7 per cent after 10 years respectively; adjusted hazard ratio 1·07, 95 per cent c.i. 1·00 to 1·14). Conclusion: Omission of surgery is associated with worse relative and overall survival in patients aged 80 years or more with stage I–II hormone receptor‐positive breast cancer. Future research should focus on the effect on quality of life and physical functioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background A reliable risk-adjusted sepsis outcome measure could complement current national process metrics by identifying outlier hospitals and catalyzing additional improvements in care. However, it is unclear whether integrating clinical data into risk adjustment models identifies similar high- and low-performing hospitals compared with administrative data alone, which are simpler to acquire and analyze. Methods We ranked 200 US hospitals by their Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Adult Sepsis Event (ASE) mortality rates and assessed how rankings changed after applying (1) an administrative risk adjustment model incorporating demographics, comorbidities, and codes for severe illness and (2) an integrated clinical and administrative model replacing severity-of-illness codes with laboratory results, vasopressors, and mechanical ventilation. We assessed agreement between hospitals' risk-adjusted ASE mortality rates when ranked into quartiles using weighted kappa statistics (к). Results The cohort included 4 009 631 hospitalizations, of which 245 808 met ASE criteria. Risk-adjustment had a large effect on rankings: 22/50 hospitals (44%) in the worst quartile using crude mortality rates shifted into better quartiles after administrative risk adjustment, and a further 21/50 (42%) of hospitals in the worst quartile using administrative risk adjustment shifted to better quartiles after incorporating clinical data. Conversely, 14/50 (28%) hospitals in the best quartile using administrative risk adjustment shifted to worse quartiles with clinical data. Overall agreement between hospital quartile rankings when risk-adjusted using administrative vs clinical data was moderate (к = 0.55). Conclusions Incorporating clinical data into risk adjustment substantially changes rankings of hospitals' sepsis mortality rates compared with using administrative data alone. Comprehensive risk adjustment using both administrative and clinical data is necessary before comparing hospitals by sepsis mortality rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historically, intravenous (IV) antibiotics have been the cornerstone of treatment for uncomplicated Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB). However, IV antibiotics are expensive, increase the rates of hospital readmission, and can be associated with catheter-related complications. As a result, the potential role of oral antibiotics in the treatment of uncomplicated SAB has become a subject of interest. This narrative review article aims to summarize key arguments for and against the use of oral antibiotics to complete treatment of uncomplicated SAB and evaluates the available evidence for specific oral regimens. We conclude that evidence suggests that oral step-down therapy can be an alternative for select patients who meet the criteria for uncomplicated SAB and will comply with medical treatment and outpatient follow-up. Of the currently studied regimens discussed in this article, linezolid has the most support, followed by fluoroquinolone plus rifampin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mali has a high neonatal mortality rate of 38/1000 live births; in addition the fresh stillbirth rate (FSR) is 23/1000 births and of these one-third are caused by intrapartum events.Objectives: The aims are to evaluate the effect of helping babies breathe (HBB) on mortality rate at a district hospital in Kati district, Mali.Methods: HBB first edition was implemented in April 2016. One year later the birth attendants were trained in HBB second edition and started frequent repetition training. This is a before and after study comparing the perinatal mortality during the period before HBB training with the period after HBB training, the period after HBB first edition and the period after HBB second edition. Perinatal mortality is defined as FSR plus neonatal deaths in the first 24 h of life.Results: There was a significant reduction in perinatal mortality rate (PMR) between the period before and after HBB training, from 21.7/1000 births to 6.0/1000 live births; RR 0.27, (95% CI 0.19-0.41; p < 0.0001). Very early neonatal mortality rate (24 h) decreased significantly from 6.3/1000 to 0.8/1000 live births; RR 0.12 (95% CI 0.05-0.33; p = 0.0006). FSR decreased from 15.7/1000 to 5.3/1000, RR 0.33 (95% CI 0.22-0.52; p < 0.0001). No further reduction occurred after introducing the HBB second edition.Conclusion: HBB may be effective in a local first-level referral hospital in Mali. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Healthcare organisations vary in the degree to which they implement quality and safety systems and strategies. Large-scale cross-sectional studies have been implemented to explore whether this variation is associated with outcomes relevant at the patient level. The Deepening our Understanding of Quality in Australia (DUQuA) study draws from earlier research of this type, to examine these issues in 32 Australian hospitals. This paper outlines the key implementation and analysis challenges faced by DUQuA. Many of the logistical difficulties of implementing DUQuA derived from compliance with the administratively complex and time-consuming Australian ethics and governance system designed principally to protect patients involved in clinical trials, rather than for low-risk health services research. The complexity of these processes is compounded by a lack of organizational capacity for multi-site health services research; research is expected to be undertaken in addition to usual work, not as part of it. These issues likely contributed to a relatively low recruitment rate for hospitals (41% of eligible hospitals). Both sets of issues need to be addressed by health services researchers, policymakers and healthcare administrators, if health services research is to flourish. Large-scale research also inevitably involves multiple measurements. The timing for applying these measures needs to be coherent, to maximise the likelihood of finding real relationships between quality and safety systems and strategies, and patient outcomes; this timing was less than ideal in DUQuA, in part due to administrative delays. Other issues that affected our study include low response rates for measures requiring recruitment of clinicians and patients, missing data and a design that necessarily included multiple statistical comparisons. We discuss how these were addressed. Successful completion of these projects relies on mutual and ongoing commitment, and two-way communication between the research team and hospital staff at all levels. This will help to ensure that enthusiasm and engagement are established and maintained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The epidemiology, clinical characteristics and outcomes of antimicrobial-associated anaphylaxis remain ill-defined. We sought to examine antimicrobial anaphylaxis with regard to: (i) the frequency of implicated antimicrobials; (ii) attributable mortality; and (iii) referral for definitive allergy assessment.Methods: This was conducted through a national retrospective multicentre cohort study at five Australian tertiary hospitals (January 2010 to December 2015). Cases of antimicrobial anaphylaxis were identified from ICD-10 coding and adverse drug reaction committee databases.Results: There were 293 participants meeting the case definition of antimicrobial anaphylaxis and 310 antimicrobial anaphylaxis episodes. Of 336 implicated antimicrobials, aminopenicillins (62/336, 18.5%) and aminocephalosporins (57/336, 17%) were implicated most frequently. ICU admission occurred in 43/310 (13.9%) episodes; however, attributable mortality was low (3/310, 1%). The rate of anaphylaxis to IV antibiotics was 3.5 (95% CI=2.9-4.3) per 100 000 DDDs and the rate of hospital-acquired anaphylaxis was 1.9 (95% CI=2.1-3.3) per 100 000 occupied bed-days. We observed overall low rates of hospital discharge documentation (222/310, 71.6%) and follow-up by specialist allergy services (73/310, 23.5%), which may compromise medication safety and antimicrobial prescribing in future.Conclusions: This study demonstrated that a high proportion of severe immediate hypersensitivity reactions presenting or acquired in Australian hospitals are secondary to aminopenicillins and aminocephalosporins. Overall rates of hospital-acquired anaphylaxis, predominantly secondary to cephalosporins, are low, and also associated with low inpatient mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines concerning hospital or intensive care unit (ICU) admissions due to pneumonia after vaccination. Setting: Inpatient and ICUs at Hamad General Hospital. Methods: The retrospective study included adults who were vaccinated between June 2012 and June 2013. Patient records were reviewed for hospital or ICU admissions due to pneumonia 2 years before and after vaccination. Main outcomes measures: The primary outcome was to compare the rates of hospital and ICU admissions for pneumonia 2 years before and after vaccination. The secondary outcome was to evaluate the efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines against different comorbidities. Key findings: One hundred sixty‐one patients were included with a dominant age group of 64–85 (52%) years old. Comorbidities reported were hypertension (HTN), diabetes mellitus (DM), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma. The rate of hospital admission due to pneumonia was significantly reduced within 2 years after vaccination, 71–39% (P < 0.001). There was a trend towards reduced ICU admission (12.4–10.6%), but the results did not achieve statistical significance (P > 0.72). In diabetic, hypertensive and COPD/Asthma patients, there was a statistically significant reduction in hospitalization. Although there was a reduction in ICU admission for both commodities, the results did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion: Adults who received pneumococcal vaccines experienced reduced rates of hospital versus ICU admissions due to pneumonia infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the association between hospital volume and the unplanned 30-day readmission rate as a quality measure.Design: A retrospective cross-sectional study.Setting: The Korea healthcare system is operated by a single payer under the National Health Insurance Service.Participants: Using national health claims data of the Health Insurance Review and Assessment in South Korea, we examined 1 296 275 adult discharges (≥18 years old) from 90 hospitals (≥500 beds) in the 2013 calendar year.Main Outcome Measures: We analysed the 30-day, unplanned, observed-to-expected standardized readmission rate for hospitals and for five specialty cohorts: medicine, surgery/gynaecology, cardiovascular, cardiorespiratory, and neurology. We assessed the association between hospital volume by tertiles and the 30-day standardized readmission rates with and without adjustment for hospital characteristics.Results: The rate for the lowest-volume hospitals was 6.10 compared with 6.20 for the highest-volume hospitals. We observed the standardized readmission rates did not differ significantly between the lowest- and highest-volume groups, except for the neurology cohort, which remained significant after adjusting for hospital characteristics.Conclusions: The standardized readmission rates were not associated with hospital volume, except for the neurology cohort, in which the standardized readmission rate was significantly higher in the highest-volume hospitals than in lowest- and intermediate-volume hospitals, which was not consistent with the typical association of greater hospital volume with better outcomes. This association was independent of hospital characteristics. Therefore, the rate of readmissions should be used with caution when gauging the quality of hospital care according to hospital volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES Our objective was to report the outcomes of fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair of thoraco-abdominal aortic aneurysms (TAAAs) with endografts. METHODS Between January 2010 and April 2018, patients with TAAAs, considered at high surgical risk for open surgery and treated by Cook-Zenith fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair, were prospectively enrolled and retrospectively analysed. The early end points were 30-day/hospital mortality rate, spinal cord ischaemia and 30-day cardiopulmonary and nephrological morbidity. Follow-up end points were survival, patency of target visceral vessels and freedom from reinterventions. RESULTS Eighty-eight patients (male: 77%; mean age: 73 ± 7 years; American Society of Anesthesiologists 3/4: 58/42%) were enrolled. Using Crawford's classification, 43 (49%) were types I–III and 45 (51%) were type IV TAAAs. The mean aneurysm diameter was 65 ± 15 mm. Custom-made and off-the-shelf endografts were used in 60 (68%) and 28 (32%) cases, respectively. Five (6%) patients had a contained ruptured TAAA. The procedure was performed in multiple steps in 42 (48%) cases. There was 1 (1%) intraoperative death. Five (6%) patients suffered spinal cord ischaemia with permanent paraplegia in 3 (3%) cases. Postoperative cardiac and pulmonary complications occurred in 7 (8%) and 12 (14%) patients, respectively. Worsening of renal function (≥30% of baseline level) was detected in 11 (13%) cases, and 2 (2%) patients required haemodialysis. The 30-day and hospital mortality rates were 5% and 8%, respectively. The mean follow-up was 36 ± 22 months. Survival at 12, 24 and 36 months was 89%, 75% and 70%, respectively. The patency of target visceral vessels at 12, 24 and 36 months was 92%, 92% and 92%, respectively. Freedom from reinterventions at 12, 24 and 36 months was 85%, 85% and 83%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The endovascular repair of TAAAs with fenestrated/branched endovascular aneurysm repair is feasible and effective with acceptable technical/clinical outcomes at early/midterm follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Open in new tab Download slide Open in new tab Download slide OBJECTIVES Controversy exists in ascertaining the ideal location for adults with congenital heart disease requiring surgical intervention. In this study, we sought to compare the perioperative management between our paediatric and adult hospitals and to determine how clinical factors and the location affect the length of stay after pulmonary valve replacement. METHODS A retrospective analysis of patients, ≥ 18 years of age, undergoing pulmonary valve replacement was conducted at our paediatric and adult hospitals between 1 January 2000 and 30 October 2014. Patients with previous Ross or concomitant left heart procedures were excluded. Descriptive statistics were used to assess demographics and clinical characteristics. Inverse probability weight-adjusted models were used to determine differences in the number of surgical complications, duration of mechanical ventilation and postoperative length of stay between paediatric and adult hospitals. Additional models were calculated to identify factors associated with prolonged length of stay. RESULTS There were altogether 98 patients in the adult (48 patients) and paediatric (50 patients) hospitals. Patients in the adult hospital were older with more comorbidities (arrhythmia, hypertension, depression and a history of cardiac arrest, all P  < 0.05). Those at the paediatric hospital had better preoperative right ventricular function and less tricuspid regurgitation. The cardiopulmonary bypass time, the length of intubation and the length of stay were higher at the adult hospital, despite no difference in the number of complications between locations. Factors contributing to the increased length of stay include patient characteristics and postoperative management strategies. There were no deaths. CONCLUSIONS Pulmonary valve replacement may be performed safely with no deaths and with a comparable complication rate at both hospitals. Patients undergoing surgery at the adult hospital have longer intubation times and length of stay. Opportunities exist to streamline management strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mortality rates after liver surgery are not well documented in Germany. More than 1000 hospitals offer liver resection, but there is no central regulation of infrastructure requirements or outcome quality. Methods: Hospital mortality rates after liver resection were analysed using the standardized hospital discharge data (Diagnosis‐Related Groups, ICD‐10 and German operations and procedure key codes) provided by the Research Data Centre of the Federal Statistical Office and Statistical Offices of the Länder in Wiesbaden, Germany. Results: A total of 110 332 liver procedures carried out between 2010 and 2015 were identified. The overall hospital mortality rate for all resections was 5·8 per cent. The mortality rate among 17 574 major hepatic procedures was 10·4 per cent. Patients who had surgery for colorectal liver metastases (CRLMs) had the lowest mortality rate among those with malignancy (5·5 per cent), followed by patients with gallbladder cancer (7·1 per cent), hepatocellular carcinoma (9·3 per cent) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (11·0 per cent). Patients with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma had the highest mortality rate (14·6 per cent). The mortality rate for extended hepatectomy was 16·2 per cent and the need for a biliodigestive anastomosis increased this to 25·5 per cent. Failure to rescue after complications led to mortality rates of more than 30 per cent in some subgroups. There was a significant volume–outcome relationship for CRLM surgery in very high‐volume centres (mean 26–60 major resections for CRLMs per year). The mortality rate was 4·6 per cent in very high‐volume centres compared with 7·5 per cent in very low‐volume hospitals (odds ratio 0·60, 95 per cent c.i. 0·42 to 0·77; P < 0·001). Conclusion: This analysis of outcome data after liver resection in Germany suggests that hospital mortality remains high. There should be more focused research to understand, improve or justify factors leading to this result, and consideration of centralization of liver surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hospitals in the United States are assessed and ranked by several agencies and services, including U.S. News & World Report. Frequently, though, the key hospital throughput metric of inpatient boarding time in the emergency department (ED) is not considered when ranking hospitals. As a result, there is a discordance in which highly ranking hospitals may be poor performers in boarding of patients, a practice with known adverse safety effects. This article outlines the rationale for considering ED boarding in hospital ranking and quality assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To assess the role of sanctions as the highest level of enforcement in Australia's residential aged care quality assurance (QA) system. Design Analysis of secondary data on accreditation activities and outcomes from 1999–2000 to 2007–08, extracted from the Annual Report on the Aged Care Act 1997. Setting A total of 138 sanctioned homes among all aged care homes in Australia (n = 2830 in 2007–08). Main outcome measures Chi-square test of differences between sanctioned and non-sanctioned homes, and z scores to identify variables underlying differences. Results Sanctions are a rare event as more frequent enforcement actions at lower levels of regulatory action mean that a diminishing number of homes are subject to higher levels of action. Relationships between the risk of sanctions and characteristics of homes (state, size, sector and level of care) were evident. Sanctions provide only limited signals on quality to potential users and do not reflect the full scope of the QA process and the range of quality of care found. Conclusions The effectiveness of sanctions in contributing to quality improvement has to be seen within the wider regulatory framework, which in turn has to be set in the context of other factors driving quality of care. Quality improvement in Australia and elsewhere will depend on further development of QA systems but will also require attention to wider contextual factors that contribute to quality outcomes, including quality of the aged care workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Hospital accreditation and International Standardisation Organisation (ISO) certification offer alternative mechanisms for improving safety and quality, or as a mark of achievement. There is little published evidence on their relative merits. Objective To identify systematic differences in quality management between hospitals that were accredited, or certificated, or neither. Research design Analysis of compliance with measures of quality in 89 hospitals in six countries, as assessed by external auditors using a standardized tool, as part of the EC-funded Methods of Assessing Response to Quality Improvement Strategies project. Main outcome measures Compliance scores in six dimensions of each hospital—grouped according to the achievement of accreditation, certification or neither. Results Of the 89 hospitals selected for external audit, 34 were accredited (without ISO certification), 10 were certificated under ISO 9001 (without accreditation) and 27 had neither accreditation nor certification. Overall percentage scores for 229 criteria of quality and safety were 66.9, 60.0 and 51.2, respectively. Analysis confirmed statistically significant differences comparing mean scores by the type of external assessment (accreditation, certification or neither); however, it did not substantially differentiate between accreditation and certification only. Some of these associations with external assessments were confounded by the country in which the sample hospitals were located. Conclusions It appears that quality and safety structures and procedures are more evident in hospitals with either the type of external assessment and suggest that some differences exist between accredited versus certified hospitals. Interpretation of these results, however, is limited by the sample size and confounded by variations in the application of accreditation and certification within and between countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Craniosysnostosis (CS) is a condition ensuing from premature fusion of cranial sutures, resulting in altered craniofacial morphology, requiring early neurosurgical interventions to improve prognosis and outcomes. This study aimed to describe total population hospital admissions related to craniosynostosis in Australia over a 22-year period. Methods Population summary data for admissions to public and private hospitals were obtained from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare National Hospital Morbidity Database (July 1996 to June 2018). The primary outcome variable was a hospital separation with the principal diagnosis of craniosynostosis, craniodysostosis or acrocephalosyndactyly (ICD9CM diagnosis codes 756.00 and 756.01 between July 1996– June 1998 and ICD10AM diagnosis codes Q75.0, Q75.1 and Q87.02 for July 1998 onwards). Trends in rates of hospital admission and length of stay by age, gender and type of craniosynostosis were investigated by negative binomial regression. Results A total of 8,115 admissions were identified between July 1996 to June 2018. Marginal decrease in hospital admission rates [-0.02 (95%CI 0.03, 0.001)] has been observed over a duration of 22 years. Admissions were higher for males, infants (<1 year) and nonsyndromic cases of disease. Average length of stay at hospitals for CS was calculated to be 5.3 ± 1.3 days per year which were even lengthier with syndromic conditions. Conclusion This study has identified population level trends in hospital separation for craniosynostosis in Australia. Key Message Population administrative data, despite limitations provides useful information to inform research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Inadequate prevention and treatment of malaria can lead to reinfections and recurrent episodes, and for vivax malaria, further recurrences from the dormant liver stage. This study quantified the impact of recurrent malaria episodes on morbidity and mortality. Methods Routinely collected data were available from 68,381 malaria patients presenting to the primary referral hospital in Papua, Indonesia. A multi-state modelling framework, with Cox regression for transition rates, was employed to determine the risks of re-presentation to hospital, receiving in-patient treatment, and early (≤14 days post treatment)/late death following multiple malaria episodes. Results The risk of re-presentation to hospital increased from 34.7% (95%CI: 34.4%–35.1%) at first episode to 58.6% (57.5%–59.6%) following the third episode. Infection with vivax malaria increased the rate of re-presentation to hospital by 1.48-fold (Hazard Ratio 1.48; 95%CI 1.44–1.51) and late hospital in-patient admission by 1.17-fold (1.11–1.22), compared to falciparum. Falciparum malaria caused a higher overall rate of early death (1.54 (1.25–1.92)), however, after multiple episodes, there was a trend towards a greater rate of early death for vivax infection (1.91 (0.73–4.97)). Conclusions Recurrent episodes of malaria can cause substantial morbidity and mortality, highlighting the importance of prevention and effective treatments for both falciparum and vivax malaria. Key messages To achieve elimination of malaria in South-East Asia, where prevalence of vivax malaria is high, we must prioritise the radical cure of vivax to eliminate the liver-stage of this species that causes relapses of infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The modified Blalock-Taussig shunt (MBTS) is the most commonly created systemic-pulmonary shunt in children with cyanotic heart disease, it continues to be a subject of academic interest, because of persistent risks associated with this simple-looking procedure. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk factors associated with the occurrence of thrombosis complicating modified blalock-taussig shunt. Method: Clinical and perioperative variables were examined through prospective study of 45patients who had undergone MBTS construction in one-year period. Results: male gender was predominant (33 cases) and females were 12 cases, mean age was 9.58 ±7.45months at the time of surgery. The most common cardiac anomaly was TOF (44.4%), mean duration of post-operative mechanical ventilation was 3.9±4.5 days, mean ICU stay was 5.9±4.5 days and the mean hospital stay was 10±5.4 days, shunt failure rate was 9/45(20%), the analysis revealed that shunt failure is significantly increased in patients aged 7 months at surgery (mean was7.1±6.8 months) (p-value 0.04), failure was more common if the pulmonary arterial diameter was4mm or less(p-value =0,06), shunt failure is significantly related to thoracotomy approach in which 6/45 (13.3%) have been subjected to this approach (p-value=0.02), shunt occlusion was significantly related to use of small shunt size 3.5mm encountered in6/45(13.3%), 4mm in 1/45(2.2%) and 5mm in2/45(4.4%) (p-value =0.02), failure rate was (15.55%)7/45 in patients who are deprived from heparin during operation while it was (4.4%)2/45 in heparinized patients (p-value=0.01), use of inotropes and nor-adrenalin are significantly related to shunt occlusion but on expense of poor hemodynamic state in which 6 patients out of 9 occluded shunt patients received inotropes while all occluded shunt cases received nor-adrenalin (p-value =0.02), we didn't find any relation of other variables (sex, gender, pre-operative coagulation profile and low oxygen saturation) with development of post-operative shunt thrombosis (p-value>0.05), The overall hospital mortality rate was 35.5% (16/45) The rate was significantly higher in patients aged below 10 months (mean 4.3±6.8 months)(p=0.004), weighing 7kg or less(mean 5.3± 2.5kg) (p=0.02), low oxygen saturation prior to operation was significantly related to post-operative mortality (mean 53.7±11.9%) while was (69.8 ± 14.5%) in discharged group (p=0.002), all dead cases(16/16,100%) received nor adrenaline during and after operation that contributed to poor hemodynamic state while 12cases out 16 (75%) received inotropes due to the same reason, the mean Pulmonary artery size was (3.8±1.2mm) in dead cases and(4.3±1.4mm) in discharged cases(p>0.05), Shunt size was not related to mortality, mean size was(3.9±0.4mm), (4.1±0.5mm)in dead and discharged cases respectively(p>0.05), sternotomy approach was carried out on 29/45 patients9 (56.25%)cases are died and 20(68.96%) discharged while 16/45 underwent thoracotomy 7 of them died (15.55%)and 9(31.03%) discharged(p>0.05), mortality is encountered in non-heparinized (22/45)cases versus heparinized(23/45) during and after operation in which 10/16 (62.5%) didn't receive heparin during and after operation while 6/16(37.5%) are heparinized, all patients later on turned to low dose oral aspirin Whether they heparinized or not. Conclusion: It is important to assess risk factors associated with the MBTS operation. The results of our study suggest that MBTS thrombosis is associated with many risk factors includes age and presence of small shunt size, small pulmonary artery size, intra. and early post-operative anticoagulation can help to reduce the risk of shunt thrombosis, as well as thoracotomy surgical approach that influence shunt patency. Also, mortality is significantly associated with young age less than 5 months of age and low body weight around 5 kg and oxygen desaturation<60% prior to operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) situation in Italian hospitals and regions represents a major public health threat [ECDC, 2017]. Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs), particularly when based on local epidemiology, have been beneficial in optimizing antibiotic therapy as well as reducing hospital rates of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and AMR [Akpan MR, Antibiotics 2016].. Methods Our ASP program has been conducted at Spedali Civili General Hospital of Brescia, Northern Italy (1300-bed tertiary hospital), between the beginning of 2016 and the end of 2017. A preliminary analysis of local epidemiological data was performed (Table 1). Seven groups ("districts") were identified according to microbiological and clinical similarities. This was a persuasive-based ASP. First, we trained physicians on general principles of AS, then guidelines for the management of "difficult-to-handle" infections were drafted based on international guidelines and local microbiological data (Table 2).. Results Here we show the results of pre-ASP (2015) vs. post-ASP (2018) analysis on antibiotic consumption (AC) and CDI rates. AC is expressed in DDD/100 bed-days. The overall hospital AC decreased from 84.31 to 76.84 (−9%), consistently with national recommendations [Italian National Plan against AMR, 2017]. In accordance with the local guidelines developed within our ASP, carbapenem consumption decreased from 5.77 to 4.87 (−16%) and fluoroquinolones (FLQ) from 14.45 to 9.94 (−31%). At the same time piperacillin/tazobactam use increased from 5.53 to 8.46 (53%). 3°–4°G cephalosporins and glycopeptides consumption slightly reduced from 11.78 to 11.42 (−3%) and from 4.07 to 3.83 (−6%), respectively. AC of the different districts involved is reported in Table 3. CDI rates decreased from 0.0434/100 bed-days in 2015 to 0.0315/100 bed-days in 2018 (−27%) (Figure 1). Conclusion Our ASP was a persuasive-based program in a setting of high AMR rates. In the short term, it has shown a positive impact in improving AC (in particular of broad-spectrum antibiotics with a high risk of resistance selection and CDI) and CDI rates. Audits for local guidelines adherence and the evaluation of AC, AMR and CDI rates are ongoing as long-term quality measures for assessing the impact of our ASP. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background To strengthen state collaborative efforts and reduce common healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in short-stay and long-term acute care hospitals, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched "States Targeting Reduction in Infections via Engagement" (STRIVE) - a national quality improvement program. Methods STRIVE consisted of a multimodal intervention implemented from November 2016 to May 2018 (Figure 1). Hospitals with excess Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) and a high burden of at least one of the following HAIs - central line-associated bloodstream infection (CLABSI), catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) or methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infection were targeted. Monthly aggregate HAI and device utilization ratios - according to CDC National Healthcare Safety Network definitions - were measured during the pre vs. post-intervention periods. Thematic analysis of qualitative interviews with state partners was conducted to understand the influence of the intervention. Results Overall, 387 hospitals from 23 states and the District of Columbia participated. Changes in HAI rates and catheter utilization are illustrated in Figure 2. From pre- to post-intervention, substantial changes in HAI rates above temporal trends were not observed (CDI, 7.0 to 5.7 per 10000 patient-days; CLABSI, 0.88 to 0.80 per 1000 catheter days; CAUTI, 1.12 to 1.04 per 1000 catheter days; MRSA bloodstream infection, 0.075 to 0.071 per 1,000 patient-days) Similarly, catheter utilization did not differ substantially between the pre- and post-intervention periods (24.05 to 22.07 central line days per 100 patient-days; 21.46 to 19.83 urinary catheter days per 100 patient-days). Qualitative analysis of 17 interviews with state partners showed that relationships among state partners and hospitals were strengthened, potentially facilitating collaboration on future infection prevention efforts. Conclusion Though HAI reductions were observed during STRIVE, these reductions were consistent with temporal trends. Hospitals struggling with high HAI rates may require additional novel approaches. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The relationship between antimicrobial use and resistance is complex, making it difficult to understand and predict the impact of antimicrobial policies. Here, we examine trends of antimicrobial pressure and pathogen rates using novel metrics. Methods Data were extracted from 2007 through 2016. GEE-negative binomial regression modeled incident (within a year) hospital-onset (HO) pathogen rates, defined as the number of unique positive isolates between hospital day 3 and discharge, offset by patient-days at risk (eliminating the first 2 hospital days from the denominator, etc.). As predictors, we used pathogen-specific AM pressure metrics, summing the selection pressure of each AM regimen, given to a patient in a day, for and against the pathogen by each facility and year (e.g. if a regimen was 70% active by antibiogram then 0.7 was counted as selection against and 0.3 for the pathogen; different regimens would contribute differentially). We also adjusted by facility complexity index and pathogen admission prevalence. Results All HO-pathogen rates declined significantly after adjustment (raw rates in Figure 1), except Bacteroides. Admission prevalence trends were variable (Table 1 and Figure 2). Figure 3 demonstrates the trend of the log ratio of AM pressure for and against pathogens. Significant negative associations with AM pressure against 5 pathogens and for 1 were observed (Table 1). Conclusion There was a broad decrease in adjusted hospital pathogen rates. The negative association with selection pressure against pathogens suggests that (a) AM resistance among pathogens is decreasing, (b) it causes a decrease in infection rates, or (c) both. While residual confounding and endogeneity still exist, our findings highlight the possibility that new metrics might better predict AM effects, including potential protective effects of some patterns of AM use. It is also notable that the measured associations were not large enough nor AM pressure trends consistent enough to explain the decreases in HO-pathogen rates. This suggests that other factors not measured in this analysis, including infection prevention, likely played a large role in observed trends. Interpretation of these results should be nuanced; we are not advocating broad-spectrum AM use. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program was established under the Affordable Care Act in 2012 to reduce payments to hospitals (hosp) with excess readmissions. Standardized readmission measures include all-cause unplanned readmissions within 30 days of hosp discharge, regardless of initial diagnosis. To avoid penalties, post-acute care, including OPAT, must have a neutral or favorable impact on 30-day hosp readmissions (30-dHR). We assessed 30-dHR for Medicare (MCR) patients receiving OPAT in ID physician office infusion centers (POICs). Methods All records of MCR patients were identified that were discharged from hosp to 15 national ID POICs. From those, 200 records were randomly selected and reviewed for unplanned 30-dHR. Additional data extracted were demographics, Charlson comorbidities index (CCI), infection diagnosis, therapy and reasons for readmission. The 30-dHR was compared with national average estimates obtained from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) database. Multivariate logistic regression was performed with P < 0.05 being statistically significant. Results Mean pt age was 73.5 years (range: 65–97) with 56% males. Infections included bone and joint (34%), genitourinary (16%), complicated skin and skin structure (15%), bacteremia (13%), respiratory (10%), intra-abdominal (7%), endocarditis (2.5%), and central nervous system (2.5%) with a mean OPAT duration of 21 ± 18 days. Overall, 30-day HR rate was 11% (n = 22). Median days from initial hosp discharge to readmission was 13 (range 2–28). Reasons for 30-day HR included disease exacerbation unrelated to infection (n = 7, 32%), worsening infection (n = 6, 27%), adverse drug reaction (n = 5, 23%), new infection (n = 3, 14%), and line complication (n = 1, 4%). A logistic regression model (Table 1) indicates that 30-day HR rates reported in MEPS are significantly higher than observed for patients treated with OPAT in POICs after adjustment for age, gender, CCI and initial diagnosis (OR = 3.16, 95% CI: 1.89–5.28, P < 0.0001). Conclusion Patients receiving OPAT in POICs had significantly lower 30-day HRs compared with a national average, and in a more comorbid population. Our data suggest that continuous oversight of patients by ID physicians and infusion center staff in the POIC setting may prevent hospital readmissions. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background AMS expansion initiative was implemented in fiscal year 18 (FY18) across a 14-member health system (~1,000 average daily census combined) consisting of 8 community hospitals, 5 rural critical access hospitals and 1 academic medical center. Methods The expansion initiative included a 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE) infectious diseases (ID) physician and 2.5 FTE ID-trained clinical pharmacists to support daily AMS activities. Clinical decision support software (Theradoc) had previously been implemented across the health system. Here we report our continuation results for the first 9 months of year 2 (FYTD19) of the expansion initiative. Results AMS personnel documented an average of 319.8 and 313.2 interventions per month in FY18 vs. FYTD19, respectively. Mean acceptance rate of AMS interventions by providers was 87.9% and 89.4% in FY18 vs. FYTD19. Provider groups with the highest acceptance rate were Hospital Medicine, Pulmonary/Critical Care and Infectious Disease. Highest interventions in FYTD19 included recommending other diagnostic testing (17%) followed by de-escalating/targeting therapy based on culture results and recommending alternative therapy (both at 11%). Most common ID disease states AMS intervened included bacteremias (29%), pneumonias (ventilator-associated or community-acquired) 13% each, and UTIs 13%. AMS interventions generated 168 ID consults in FYTD19. The financial impact of AMS across the health system was a cumulative saving in antimicrobial expenditures of $1.29 million and $1.27 million in FY18 and FYTD19, respectively. Conclusion The ability to review offsite electronic medical records daily for antimicrobial optimization with ID pharmacist and physician support, identify facility-specific needs and opportunities, and collect available data endpoints to determine program effectiveness has helped to ensure program success. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Antibiotic Stewardship (ASP) standards for hospitals became effective January 1, 2017. Core Elements implementation guidelines have been challenging for rural hospitals usually lacking on-site expertise. Our 170-bed Community Hospital / rural referral center has dedicated resources for on-site ASP. Our team includes on-site Infectious Disease (ID) Specialist and dedicated ASP pharmacist. Over first 2 years, our model shows very high provider acceptance, improvement in antimicrobial use pattern and reduction in the number of Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). Methods The ASP Pharmacist conducted a daily review of ASP targets. He met with on-site ID Physician 3 days weekly to discuss interventions and review complex cases. The ASP team - ID Medical Director, ASP Pharmacist, Microbiologist, Invention Preventionist and Hospitalist met monthly to discuss outcomes and facility-wide interventions. ASP audit included: positive cultures, patients on multiple or broad-spectrum antimicrobials, patients receiving dual nephrotoxic drugs, carbapenems, fluoroquinolones, candidates for IV to PO conversion The audit results were communicated in-person to attending physician and documented in electronic medical record. Results ASP team recommendations were accepted in 94% of cases ID consult was recommended in 4.69% and was accepted 100%. Top 20 IV antimicrobial use decreased by 10%. Fluoroquinolones (29%) and carbapenems (28%) showed highest decrease. Cephalosporins showed small increase. Hospital-acquired CDI rate decreased from 0.83 cases/ 1000 patient-days (PD) pre-ASP to 0.53 cases/ 1000 PD post-ASP. General CDI diagnosis decreased from 3.21 cases/1000 PD pre-ASAP to 2.23 cases/ 1000 PD post-ASP Conclusion An on-site, ID Specialist reviewed and dedicated ASP Pharmacist driven program at a rural referral center/ Community Hospital significantly improved antibiotic use and decreased Clostridium Difficile Infections in the first 2 years. Direct feedback of ASP review to providers resulted in an excellent acceptance rate. On-site ID and ASP Pharmacist collaboration is logistically difficult to achieve but expanding our model to rural referral centers should be considered. More research is needed to determine the cost-effectiveness of onsite, dual led programs. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Comparison of antimicrobial use (AU) rates among hospitals can identify areas to intervene for antimicrobial stewardship. Hospital AU interpretation is difficult without risk-adjustment for patient mix. Identifying high- or low-risk patient characteristics, or "electronic phenotypes," for receipt of antimicrobials using data from electronic health records (EHR) could help define risk-adjustment factors AU comparisons. Methods We performed a retrospective study of EHR-derived data from adult and pediatric inpatients within the Duke University Health System from October 2015 to September 2017. Encounters were included if the patient spent time in an inpatient location. The analysis aimed to identify subpopulations that were high- or low-risk for antimicrobial exposure based on EHR data summarized on the encounter level. Antimicrobial days of therapy (DOT) and days present, representing the length of stay (LOS), were defined as in the 2018 NHSN AU Option. Location exposures were defined in binary variables if patients were housed at least 1 day on a hospital unit type. We compared antimicrobial-exposed to unexposed patients as well as DOT among various factors including demographics, location, nonantimicrobial medications, labs, ICD-10 codes, and diagnosis-related groups (DRG). Results The EHR-derived dataset included 170,294 encounters and 204 variables in one academic and two community hospitals; 80,192 (47%) received at least one antimicrobial. Distributions of both LOS and DOT were zero-inflated and skewed by long outliers (figure). Encounters with >=7 DOT made up 63% of total DOT, but only 9% of inpatient encounters. Electronic phenotypes with highest DOT included those with long lengths of stay, older age, exposures to stem cell transplant, pulmonary, and critical care units, and DRG that included transplant, respiratory, or infectious diagnoses. Zero DOT phenotypes included those with short lengths of stay, exposure to labor and delivery wards, medical wards, and DRG that included birth and pregnancy. Conclusion Future work in defining risk-adjustment factors for hospital AU data comparisons should determine if factors associated with low- or high-risk electronic phenotypes assist in prediction of antibiotic use. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The necessary data elements and optimal statistical methods for benchmarking hospital-level antimicrobial use are still being debated. We aimed to describe the relative influence of case-mix adjustment and different statistical methods when ranking hospitals on antimicrobial use (AU) within inpatient settings. Methods Using administrative data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system in October 2016, we calculated total antimicrobial days of therapy (DOT) and days present according to the National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) protocol. Patient-level demographics, comorbidities, and recent procedures were used for case-mix adjustments. We compared hospital rankings across 4 different methods: (A) crude antimicrobial DOT per 1,000 days present, aggregated at the hospital-level; (B) observed/expected (O/E) AU ratio with risk adjustment for ward-level variables (analogous to NHSN's Standardized Antimicrobial Administration Ratio); (C) O/E AU ratio with risk adjustment for ward-/patient-level variables; (D) predicted/expected (P/E) AU ratio with risk adjustment for ward-/patient-level variables, based on a multilevel model accounting for clustering effects at hospital- and ward-levels. Results The cohort included 165,949 DOTs and 318,321 days present at 122 acute care hospitals within VHA. Crude DOTs per 1,000 days present ranged from 153.6 to 900.8 (Figure A), and ward-level risk adjustment only modestly changed rankings (Figure B). When adjusted for ward- and patient-level variables (including demographics, 14 comorbidities and 22 procedures), rankings changed substantially (Figure C). Risk-adjustment by a multilevel model changed rankings even further, while shrinking variabilities (Figure D). Ten hospitals in the lowest and 11 hospitals in the highest quartiles by O/E risk adjustment for only ward-level variables were classified to different quartiles on P/E risk adjustment. Conclusion We observed that the selection of variables and statistical methods for case-mix adjustment had a substantial impact on hospital rankings for antimicrobial use within inpatient settings. Careful consideration of methodologies is warranted when providing benchmarking metrics for hospitals. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]