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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]

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. [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]

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

Purpose. The frequencies and corresponding susceptibilities of bacteria isolated from patients in the emergency department (ED) were compared with those from hospitalized patients. Methods. A microbiology laboratory report of all positive bacterial cultures obtained in the ED, regardless of the source (e.g., blood, urine, sputum), was obtained. In the case of duplicate cultures, only the first isolate cultured from a single patient was included. Colonization-site cultures (e.g., nasal swabs) and culture reports identified by the laboratory as contaminant organisms were excluded from the evaluation. Antimicrobial susceptibility results were then compiled into a standardized ED-specific antibiogram. Antimicrobial susceptibilities for each pathogen in the ED antibiogram were compared with those in the hospitalwide antibiogram. If there was a difference of ≤5% between the susceptibility of a single antimicrobial agent, chi-square tests were conducted, and unadjusted odds ratios were calculated. Pathogens with fewer than 30 isolates were excluded from the susceptibility comparison. Results. A total of 3140 cultures were evaluated (1417 from the ED, 1723 from the hospital). The frequencies of pathogens isolated in the ED and hospitalwide were similar, with the exception of Escherichia coli, which were more commonly isolated in ED patients, and Enterococcus species and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which were more common in hospitalized patients. Significant differences in susceptibility profiles were identified for Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase-negative Staphylococcus, Enterococcus faecalis, E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and P. aeruginosa. Conclusion. Significant differences in the frequencies of bacteria isolated and corresponding susceptibilities were found in cultures obtained in ED patients compared with those obtained in hospitalized patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]