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Background Although warfarin is highly effective, management of patients prescribed warfarin is complex due to its narrow therapeutic window. Objective To evaluate the impact of a formal warfarin discharge education program (WDEP) on hospital readmission and treatment costs in patients who received warfarin therapy. Setting Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset in Somerville, New Jersey, USA. Method In this interventional cohort study, patients were assigned to either the WDEP group or the usual care group. The effects of the WDEP on readmission within 90 days after discharge were analyzed using Cox proportional hazards models. Factors influencing treatment cost were identified using generalized linear model with log-link function and gamma distribution. Main outcome measure Hospital readmission within 90 days and treatment costs associated with hospital readmission. Results Among 692 eligible patients, 203 in each group were matched using propensity scores and there were no statistically significant differences in the patient baseline characteristics between two groups. The risk of all-cause readmission within 90 days was significantly lower in the WDEP group compared to the usual care group (relative risk = 0.46, 95% CI 0.28-0.76). The treatment costs associated with hospital readmission in the WDEP group were 19% lower than those in the usual care group after adjusting for the study variables. Conclusion A formal, individualized WDEP provided by pharmacists resulted in significant reduction of readmission and treatment costs. The economic burden of treatment costs associated with warfarin can be controlled if well-organized warfarin education is provided to patients who received warfarin therapy.

BackgroundThe first Multi-center Medication Reconciliation Quality Improvement Study (MARQUIS1) demonstrated that implementation of a medication reconciliation best practices toolkit decreased total unintentional medication discrepancies in five hospitals. We sought to implement the MARQUIS toolkit in more diverse hospitals, incorporating lessons learned from MARQUIS1.MethodsMARQUIS2 is a pragmatic, mentored implementation QI study which collected clinical and implementation outcomes. Sites implemented a revised toolkit, which included interventions from these domains: 1) best possible medication history (BPMH)-taking; 2) discharge medication reconciliation and patient/caregiver counseling; 3) identifying and defining clinician roles and responsibilities; 4) risk stratification; 5) health information technology improvements; 6) improved access to medication sources; 7) identification and correction of real-time discrepancies; and, 8) stakeholder engagement. Eight hospitalists mentored the sites via one site visit and monthly phone calls over the 18-month intervention period. Each site’s local QI team assessed opportunities to improve, implemented at least one of the 17 toolkit components, and accessed a variety of resources (e.g. implementation manual, webinars, and workshops). Outcomes to be assessed will include unintentional medication discrepancies per patient.DiscussionA mentored multi-center medication reconciliation QI initiative using a best practices toolkit was successfully implemented across 18 medical centers. The 18 participating sites varied in size, teaching status, location, and electronic health record (EHR) platform.We introduce barriers to implementation and lessons learned from MARQUIS1, such as the importance of utilizing dedicated, trained medication history takers, simple EHR solutions, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and the input of patients and families when improving medication reconciliation.

Objective To describe students' perception of a paramedic shadowing experience (PSE) incorporated into a critical care advanced pharmacy practice experience (APPE) rotation based in a community hospital. Methods An electronic survey instrument was developed and distributed to students who completed a critical care APPE rotation and participated in a PSE to assess students' perception. Results Of 18 students, 13 completed the survey. Students rated the PSE highly in opportunity to be exposed to pre-hospital medicine (mean = 4.46 ± 0.66) and as beneficial in enhancing student understanding of interdisciplinary patient care (4.69 ± 0.48). Most students agreed that the PSE encouraged the application of knowledge in a real-world setting (4.38 ± 0.76). The majority of students strongly agreed that the PSE should be offered to future APPE students as part of a critical care rotation (4.69 ± 0.48). Conclusions The PSE was perceived by pharmacy students to be a beneficial experience and a unique opportunity to apply knowledge to patient care in a pre-hospital setting. A paramedic shadowing experience for APPE students represents a novel method of introducing pharmacy students to interdisciplinary patient care.

Background Rapid bacterial strain typing for nosocomial outbreak surveillance is critical for timely outbreak detection and implementation of appropriate infection control protocols in hospitals. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) remains the gold standard for strain typing, but it has the disadvantages of being time-consuming and costly. Transflection Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a nondestructive and reagent-free technique for rapid microbial identification and subspecies-level discrimination. The potential of employing transflection FTIR spectroscopy as a rapid, real-time typing technique was evaluated in the present study. Methods Transflection FTIR spectra were acquired from vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VRE) isolates obtained from rectal swabs (n = 36) of patients in 6 units at a Montreal hospital over a 3-month period and from environmental screening samples (n = 2). Upon confirmation as VRE using a transflection FTIR spectral database previously developed in our laboratory, isolates were further typed by unsupervised hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis of the FTIR spectral data with the use of a feature selection algorithm. Results Analysis of the FTIR data identified independent cases of VRE outbreak in 2 of 6 units; these outbreaks were confirmed retrospectively by PFGE. Based on the PFGE typing results for all 38 isolates included in this study, FTIR spectral analyses successfully identified 95% (n = 18) of isolates related to the outbreaks and 95% (n = 18) of non-outbreak-related isolates, resulting in a false-positive (n = 1), and a false-negative (n = 1), rate of 5%. Additionally, the two environmental isolates were identified as part of the outbreak from one of the outbreak-positive units. Conclusion The results in this study indicate that transflection FTIR spectroscopy-based typing can be considered as an alternative typing technique to PFGE, providing real-time results to track the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens within hospitals. Furthermore, when combined with the use of a transflection FTIR spectral database, both identification and typing of an isolate can be achieved from a single spectral measurement, thereby reducing the time and cost required for outbreak investigation. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Purpose: Tirapazamine (SR 4233) is a benzotriazine di-N-oxide which acts as a hypoxic cytotoxic agent and as a radiation enhancer when given shortly before or after radiation. Three Phase I clinical trials were designed to determine the maximum tolerated dose, toxicities, pharmacokinetics, and effects on irradiated tumors and normal tissues. Methods and Materials: Tirapazamine 9 mg/m2 to 21 mg/m2 was given IV sol|1/2 to 1 h prior to irradiation on a multiple dose schedule of 10 consecutive doses. This was later revised to a three times-per-week schedule for 12 doses. In a second clinical trial, tirapazamine was given in a single dose of 18 mg/m2 to 293 mg/m2 IV after irradiation. In a third trial, tirapazamine was administered without irradiation in single doses of 36 mg/m2 to 250 mg/m2, with an option for retreatment. Results: Subjects reported muscle cramping of varying degrees of severity on all three dose schedules. One patient experienced Grade 3 cramping and treatment was discontinued. The most frequent site of cramping were the lower extremities. Creatine phosphokinase (CPK) values were elevated in three patients with associated muscle soreness in one patient. MB (cardiac) isoenzymes were elevated in one patient with no evidence of cardiac muscle damage, and returned to baseline at drug completion. No consistent abnormalities in clinical laboratory values were found. Stretching of the muscle was most effective in relieving the cramping. Conclusion: Muscle cramping has been the most frequently reported toxicity in Phase I studies of tirapazamine, though it does not appear to be dose limiting. Dose escalation on the three clinical trials continues. In vitro studies to investigate the cramping are ongoing.

Purpose: Patients with refractory solid tumors were treated with the combination of fractionated radiation therapy and multiple-dose intravenous tirapazamine to determine the toxicities and maximum tolerated dose of tirapazamine when given concurrently with radiation therapy. Methods: Patients received radiation therapy in accordance with standard treatment practice in relation to fraction size and number of fractions for their particular cancer. In all cases, the course of radiation therapy exceeded the time of tirapazamine administration. Initially, tirapazamine was administered 5 days per week for 2 weeks for a total of 10 doses. After the first 8 patients, the schedule was changed to 3 times per week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday) for 4 weeks for a total of 12 doses. Between 3 and 6 patients were treated at each dose level. Results: A total of 43 patients were treated in the study between 1991 and 1995. All patients were 18 years old or older, had a Karnofsky performance status of ≥ 60% and had adequate hematologic, hepatic, and renal function. Dose escalation began at 9 mg/m 2 /dose and was increased using a modified Fibonacci schema. The maximum tolerated dose was not reached and dose escalation was stopped at 260 mg/m 2 because of other data that became available suggesting 330 mg/m 2 was associated with dose-limiting toxicity (1, 2). Conclusion: Tirapazamine in doses of up to 260 mg/m 2 times 12 doses can be given safely with fractionated radiation therapy. This dose appears to result in adequate plasma exposure (2) for radiation sensitization, and this schedule is being tested in a Phase II trial by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group to determine if tirapazamine is a radiation enhancer in the clinic.