Dataset Information
An electronic trigger tool to optimise intravenous to oral antibiotic switch: a controlled, interrupted time series study.
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Timely switch from intravenous (iv) antibiotics to oral therapy is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship programs in order to improve patient safety, promote early discharge and reduce costs. We have introduced a time-efficient and easily implementable intervention that relies on a computerized trigger tool, which identifies patients who are candidates for an iv to oral antibiotic switch.Methods
The intervention was introduced on all internal medicine wards in a teaching hospital. Patients were automatically identified by an electronic trigger tool when parenteral antibiotics were used for >48 h and clinical or pharmacological data did not preclude switch therapy. A weekly educational session was introduced to alert the physicians on the intervention wards. The intervention wards were compared with control wards, which included all other hospital wards. An interrupted time-series analysis was performed to compare the pre-intervention period with the post-intervention period using '% of i.v. prescriptions >72 h' and 'median duration of iv therapy per prescription' as outcomes. We performed a detailed prospective evaluation on a subset of 244 prescriptions to evaluate the efficacy and appropriateness of the intervention.Results
The number of intravenous prescriptions longer than 72 h was reduced by 19% in the intervention group (n = 1519) (p < 0.01) and the median duration of iv antibiotics was reduced with 0.8 days (p = <0.05). Compared to the control group (n = 4366) the intervention was responsible for an additional decrease of 13% (p < 0.05) in prolonged prescriptions. The detailed prospective evaluation of a subgroup of patients showed that adherence to the electronic reminder was 72%.Conclusions
An electronic trigger tool combined with a weekly educational session was effective in reducing the duration of intravenous antimicrobial therapy.
SUBMITTER: Berrevoets MAH
PROVIDER: S-EPMC5558766 | biostudies-literature | 2017
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Publications
An electronic trigger tool to optimise intravenous to oral antibiotic switch: a controlled, interrupted time series study.
Antimicrobial resistance and infection control 20170815
<h4>Background</h4>Timely switch from intravenous (iv) antibiotics to oral therapy is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship programs in order to improve patient safety, promote early discharge and reduce costs. We have introduced a time-efficient and easily implementable intervention that relies on a computerized trigger tool, which identifies patients who are candidates for an iv to oral antibiotic switch.<h4>Methods</h4>The intervention was introduced on all internal medicine wards in a ...[more]