Project description:BackgroundIn community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), the role of biomarkers to shorten duration of antibiotic treatment has not been firmly established. We assessed the effectiveness of active feedback of treatment algorithms based on procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP), compared to standard care, on the duration of antibiotic treatment in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in non-ICU wards.Methods and findingsWe performed a randomised, open label, parallel group, multi-centre trial in 3 Dutch teaching hospitals. Treatment was guided by a PCT algorithm, CRP algorithm or standard care. Participants were recruited by a member of the study team and randomised at day 2-3 of admission in a 1:1:1 ratio. Treatment was discontinued upon predefined thresholds of biomarkers that were assessed on admission, day 4 and days 5-7 if indicated. The primary outcome was total days on antibiotic treatment until day 30. In total 468 participants were included in this study. The median days on antibiotics (IQR) was 7 (IQR 7-10) in the control group, 4 (IQR 3-7) in the CRP group (rate ratio (RR) of 0.70, 95% CI 0.61-0.82 compared to standard care; p <0.001), and 5.5 (IQR 3-9) in the PCT group (RR of 0.78, 95% CI 0.68-0.89 compared to standard care; p <0.001). New antibiotics within the first 30 days were prescribed to 24, 23 and 35 patients in standard care, CRP and PCT groups, respectively. The hazard ratio for a new prescription in patients in the PCT group compared to standard care 1.63 (CI 0.97-2.75; p = 0.06). No difference in time to clinical stability or length of stay was found.ConclusionsA strategy of feedback of CRP-guided and PCT-guided treatment algorithms reduced the number of days on antibiotic in the first 30 days after hospital admission in non-ICU wards for CAP. The study was not powered to determine safety of shortening duration of antibiotic treatment. (NCT01964495).
Project description:Background. Syndrome-specific interventions are a recommended approach to antibiotic stewardship, but additional data are needed to understand their potential impact. We implemented an intervention to improve the management of inpatient community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and evaluated its effects on antibiotic and resource utilization. Methods. A stakeholder group developed and implemented a clinical practice guideline and order set for inpatient, non-intensive care unit CAP recommending a short course (5 days) of a fluoroquinolone-sparing antibiotic regimen in uncomplicated cases. Unless there was suspicion for complications or resistant pathogens, chest computed tomography (CT) and sputum cultures were discouraged. This was a retrospective preintervention postintervention study of patients hospitalized for CAP before (April 15, 2008-May 31, 2009) and after (July 1, 2011-July 31, 2012) implementation of the guideline. The primary comparison was the difference in duration of therapy during the baseline and intervention periods. Secondary outcomes included changes in use of levofloxacin, CT scans, and sputum culture. Results. One hundred sixty-six and 84 cases during the baseline and intervention periods, respectively, were included. From the baseline to intervention period, the median duration of therapy decreased from 10 to 7 days (P < .0001). Prescription of levofloxacin at discharge decreased from 60% to 27% of cases (P < .0001). Use of chest CT and sputum culture decreased from 47% to 32% of cases (P = .02) and 51% to 31% of cases (P = .03), respectively. The frequency of clinical failure between the 2 periods was similar. Conclusions. A syndrome-specific intervention for inpatient CAP was associated with shorter treatment durations and reductions in use of fluoroquinolones and low-yield diagnostic tests.
Project description:To assess the adherence to Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines and the causes of lack of adherence during empirical antibiotic prescription in severe pneumonia in Latin America.A clinical questionnaire was submitted to 36 physicians from Latin America; they were asked to indicate the empirical treatment in two fictitious cases of severe respiratory infection: community-acquired pneumonia and nosocomial pneumonia.In the case of community acquired pneumonia, 11 prescriptions of 36 (30.6%) were compliant with international guidelines. The causes for non-compliant treatment were monotherapy (16.0%), the unnecessary prescription of broad-spectrum antibiotics (40.0%) and the use of non-recommended antibiotics (44.0%). In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the rate of adherence to the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines was 2.8% (1 patient of 36). The reasons for lack of compliance were monotherapy (14.3%) and a lack of dual antibiotic coverage against Pseudomonas aeruginosa (85.7%). If monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered adequate, the antibiotic treatment would be adequate in 100% of the total prescriptions.The compliance rate with the Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines in the community-acquired pneumonia scenario was 30.6%; the most frequent cause of lack of compliance was the indication of monotherapy. In the case of nosocomial pneumonia, the compliance rate with the guidelines was 2.8%, and the most important cause of non-adherence was lack of combined antipseudomonal therapy. If the use of monotherapy with an antipseudomonal antibiotic was considered the correct option, the treatment would be adequate in 100% of the prescriptions.
Project description:IntroductionCommunity-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) are common complications in idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) patients, and are frequently associated with unfavorable outcome as well as prolonged antibiotic therapy. In this study, we intended to clarify whether clinical pulmonary infection score (CPIS) and multiple serum biomarkers are valuable in predicting unfavorable outcomes and prolonged antibiotic therapy in adult IIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP.MethodsData of IIM patients with CAP or HAP who were admitted to three tertiary centers from December 2010 to November 2019 were retrospectively collected. Cox proportional hazards regression analysis and logistic regression analysis were adopted to identify risk factors for unfavorable outcomes and prolonged antibiotic therapy in these patients. The predictive values of potential predictors were assessed using receiver operating characteristic analysis.ResultsThe mortality rate was 60.6% in 109 IIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP. Myositis Disease Activity Assessment Visual Analogue Scales (MYOACT) score, CPIS and timely adjustment to antibiotics based on drug susceptibility test (DST-based antibiotic) were significantly associated with long-term outcome in these patients. With an optimal cutoff value of 6.5 and area under the curve (AUC) of 0.813, CPIS was a more satisfying predictor compared with MYOACT score. The peak C-reactive protein (CRP) level, DST-based antibiotics, and complication of interstitial lung disease (ILD) were also significantly correlated with prolonged antibiotic therapy.ConclusionsIIM patients complicated with CAP or HAP frequently suffer from unfavorable outcomes. Compared with IIM disease activity, CPIS worked as a better predictor of outcome in these patients. Also, the peak CRP level during hospitalization might be valuable in predicting prolonged antibiotic therapy. The existence of ILD might impede early discontinuation of antibiotics. Timely adjustment to antibiotics based on drug susceptibility testing would decrease the mortality rate and reduce the incidence of prolonged antibiotic therapy.
Project description:Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are infectious diseases that commonly occur in communities. Although several international guidelines for the management of UTIs have been available, clinical characteristics, etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns may differ from country to country. This work represents an update of the 2011 Korean guideline for UTIs. The current guideline was developed by the update and adaptation method. This clinical practice guideline provides recommendations for the diagnosis and management of UTIs, including asymptomatic bacteriuria, acute uncomplicated cystitis, acute uncomplicated pyelonephritis, complicated pyelonephritis related to urinary tract obstruction, and acute bacterial prostatitis. This guideline targets community-acquired UTIs occurring among adult patients. Healthcare-associated UTIs, catheter-associated UTIs, and infections in immunocompromised patients were not included in this guideline.
Project description:PurposeStudies on aetiology of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) vary in terms of microbial sampling methods, anatomical locations, and laboratory analyses, since no gold standard exists. In this large, multicentre, retrospective, regional study from Norway, our primary objective was to report the results of a strategic diagnostic stewardship intervention, targeting diagnostic yield from lower respiratory tract sampling. The secondary objective was to report hospitalized CAP aetiology and the diagnostic yield of various anatomical sampling locations.MethodsMedical records from cases diagnosed with hospitalized CAP were collected retrospectively from March throughout May for three consecutive years at six hospitals. Between year one and two, we launched a diagnostic stewardship intervention at the emergency room level for the university teaching hospital only. The intervention was multifaceted aiming at upscaling specimen collection and enhancing collection techniques. Year one at the interventional hospital and every year at the five other emergency hospitals were used for comparison.ResultsOf the 1280 included cases of hospitalized CAP, a microbiological diagnosis was established for 29.1% among 1128 blood cultures and 1444 respiratory tract specimens. Blood cultures were positive for a pathogenic respiratory tract microbe in 4.9% of samples, whereas upper and lower respiratory tract samples overall provided a probable microbiological diagnosis in 21.3% and 47.5%, respectively. Expectorated or induced sputum overall provided aetiology in 51.7% of the samples. At the interventional hospital, the number of expectorated or induced sputum samples were significantly increased, and diagnostic yield from expectorated or induced sputum was significantly enhanced from 41.2 to 62.0% after the intervention (p = 0.049). There was an over-representation of samples from the interventional hospital during the study period. Non-typeable Haemophilus influenza and Streptococcus pneumoniae accounted for 25.3% and 24.7% of microbiologically confirmed cases, respectively.ConclusionExpectorated or induced sputum outperformed other sampling methods in providing a reliable microbiological diagnosis for hospitalized CAP. A diagnostic stewardship intervention significantly improved diagnostic yield of lower respiratory tract sampling.
Project description:Community-acquired pneumonia causes great mortality and morbidity and high costs worldwide. Empirical selection of antibiotic treatment is the cornerstone of management of patients with pneumonia. To reduce the misuse of antibiotics, antibiotic resistance, and side-effects, an empirical, effective, and individualised antibiotic treatment is needed. Follow-up after the start of antibiotic treatment is also important, and management should include early shifts to oral antibiotics, stewardship according to the microbiological results, and short-duration antibiotic treatment that accounts for the clinical stability criteria. New approaches for fast clinical (lung ultrasound) and microbiological (molecular biology) diagnoses are promising. Community-acquired pneumonia is associated with early and late mortality and increased rates of cardiovascular events. Studies are needed that focus on the long-term management of pneumonia.
Project description:BackgroundHealthcare-associated pneumonia (HCAP) lies in the intersection of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP). Although HCAP is excluded from the revised HAP guideline, reassessment for HCAP is needed considering its heterogeneous characteristics.MethodsThe microbiological distribution, antibiotic resistance, and clinical outcomes in CAP, HCAP, and HAP were studied retrospectively. The susceptibility to standard CAP regimens (β-lactams plus macrolide or fluoroquinolone monotherapy) and rates of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P. aeruginosa) infections were evaluated in the CAP group and HCAP subgroups.ResultsIn total, 933 cases were included (CAP, n = 557; HCAP, n = 264; HAP, n = 112). In the CAP and HCAP cases, Streptococcus pneumoniae (7.4% vs. 5.7%) and P. aeruginosa (9.2% vs. 18.6%) were the most common gram-positive and gram-negative pathogens. Staphylococcus aureus (methicillin-resistant, 2.7%; methicillin-susceptible, 2.4%) and carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (20.5%) were the most common Gram-positive and Gram-negative pathogens in the HAP group, respectively. Higher susceptibility to levofloxacin was observed in CAP and HCAP isolates than that to β-lactam agents. However, levofloxacin non-susceptibility was significantly higher in long-term care facility (LTCF)-onset HCAP compared to community-onset HCAP (43.6% vs. 22.7%, P = 0.014).ConclusionHCAP showed higher rates of P. aeruginosa and MRSA infections than CAP. Empirical antipseudomonal therapy should be considered in the treatment of HCAP. Prior isolation of P. aeruginosa was the most important risk factor for P. aeruginosa infection.