Dataset Information

The Development of a Decision Tool for the Empiric Treatment of Suspected Urinary Tract Infection in Frail Older Adults: A Delphi Consensus Procedure.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Nonspecific signs and symptoms combined with positive urinalysis results frequently trigger antibiotic therapy in frail older adults. However, there is limited evidence about which signs and symptoms indicate urinary tract infection (UTI) in this population. We aimed to find consensus among an international expert panel on which signs and symptoms, commonly attributed to UTI, should and should not lead to antibiotic prescribing in frail older adults, and to integrate these findings into a decision tool for the empiric treatment of suspected UTI in this population.

Design

A Delphi consensus procedure.

Setting and participants

An international panel of practitioners recognized as experts in the field of UTI in frail older patients.

Measures

In 4 questionnaire rounds, the panel (1) evaluated the likelihood that individual signs and symptoms are caused by UTI, (2) indicated whether they would prescribe antibiotics empirically for combinations of signs and symptoms, and (3) provided feedback on a draft decision tool.

Results

Experts agreed that the majority of nonspecific signs and symptoms should be evaluated for other causes instead of being attributed to UTI and that urinalysis should not influence treatment decisions unless both nitrite and leukocyte esterase are negative. These and other findings were incorporated into a decision tool for the empiric treatment for suspected UTI in frail older adults with and without an indwelling urinary catheter.

Conclusions

A decision tool for suspected UTI in frail older adults was developed based on consensus among an international expert panel. Studies are needed to evaluate whether this decision tool is effective in reaching its aim: the improvement of diagnostic evaluation and treatment for suspected UTI in frail older adults.

SUBMITTER: van Buul LW

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8048094 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundOveruse of fluoroquinolone antibiotics is associated with outbreaks of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and increasing resistance in gram-negative organisms. Over the past decade, resistance of Escherichia coli to ciprofloxacin has increased in the Regina Qu'Appelle Health Region. In August 2011, an exploratory audit of the Regina General Hospital (RGH) emergency department showed that 20% of new antibiotic orders were for fluoroquinolones, and 60% of these new fluoroquinolone orders were for ciprofloxacin. It was postulated that ciprofloxacin was predominantly prescribed for outpatients with urinary tract infection.ObjectiveTo develop, implement, and evaluate a best-practice algorithm for the empiric treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection in the RGH emergency department, as part of an educational initiative for emergency physicians.MethodsA literature review was conducted and local antibiogram data were analyzed to establish a best-practice algorithm for treatment of uncomplicated urinary tract infection in outpatients seen in the emergency department. A chart review was conducted from January to March 2011 to establish a baseline of empiric antibiotic use. An educational strategy targeting emergency physicians described changes in antibiotic resistance patterns in the health region, principles of antimicrobial stewardship, drivers of resistance, and the results of a literature review of best practice for urinary tract infection in outpatients. A post-intervention audit was conducted from January to March 2012 to determine changes in practice.ResultsComparison of results from the post-intervention audit with baseline data showed that adherence to best practice increased significantly, from 41% (39/96) before the intervention to 66% (50/76) after the intervention (odds ratio [OR] 2.81, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.51-5.25; p < 0.001). There was also a significant change in overall antibiotic selection (OR 0.25, 95% CI 0.11-0.58; p < 0.001). Further analysis suggested that this significant change was driven by a decrease in use of ciprofloxacin, from 32% (31/96) to 11% (8/76).ConclusionCreation of a best-practice algorithm and education focused on emergency physicians significantly increased adherence to best practice and optimized antibiotic prescribing for outpatients with uncomplicated urinary tract infection by limiting overuse of fluoroquinolones, primarily ciprofloxacin.

Project description:ObjectiveTo determine which nursing home (NH) resident characteristics were most important to clinicians' decision to prescribe antibiotics for a suspected urinary tract infection (UTI), including both evidence-based and non-evidence-based characteristics.DesignWeb-based discrete choice experiment with 19 clinical scenarios. For each scenario, clinicians were asked whether they would prescribe an antibiotic for a suspected UTI.SettingOnline survey.ParticipantsConvenience sample of 876 NH physicians and advanced practice providers who practiced primary care for NH residents in the United States.MethodsEach scenario varied information about 10 resident characteristics regarding urinalysis results, resident temperature, lower urinary tract symptoms, physical examination, antibiotic request, mental status, UTI risk, functional status, goals of care, and resident type. We derived importance scores for the characteristics and odds ratios (ORs) for specific information related to each characteristic from a multinomial logistic regression.ResultsApproximately half of the participants were male (56%) with a mean age of 49 years. Resident characteristics differed in their importance (ie, part-worth utility) when deciding whether to prescribe for a suspected UTI: urinalysis results (32%), body temperature (17%), lower urinary tract symptoms (17%), physical examination (15%), antibiotic request (7%), mental status (4%), UTI risk (4%), functional status (3%), goals of care (2%), and resident type (1%). Information about "positive leukocyte esterase, positive nitrates" was associated with highest odds of prescribing [OR 19.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 16.9, 22.7], followed by "positive leukocyte esterase, negative nitrates" (OR 6.7, 95% CI 5.8, 7.6), and "painful or difficult urination" (OR 4.8, 95% CI 4.2, 5.5).Conclusions and implicationsAlthough guidelines focus on lower urinary tract symptoms, body temperature, and physical examination for diagnosing a UTI requiring antibiotics, these characteristics were considered less important than urinalysis results, which have inconsistent clinical utility in NH residents. Point-of-care clinical decision support offers an evidence-based prescribing process.

Project description:ObjectiveThis study aimed to synthesize available evidence on the effectiveness and safety of COVID-19 vaccines for frail older adults through a rapid review, supplemented with geriatricians' consensus statements.MethodsReferences were identified through MEDLINE and Web of Science on 1st February 2021 using relevant terms related to COVID-19, vaccine, and older adults. Searches were also conducted on reference lists of review articles and Google Scholar. The content was updated on 8th April via hand searching. We included studies on Phase III randomized controlled trials, and data from real world administration of vaccines. A two-round Delphi study was conducted with 15 geriatricians to elicit their thoughts and recommendations regarding COVID-19 vaccination for frail older adults.ResultsFive Phase III randomized controlled efficacy trials reported vaccine efficacy ranging from 66.7% to 95% among participants aged 16 to 95. The vaccine efficacy for participants aged 65 and above is 94.7% and 86.4% for Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna respectively. Sputnik V reported a vaccine efficacy of 91.8% for participants 60 and above. Serious adverse events were reported by 0.27% to 1% of participants who received at least one dose of the four vaccines. For the Delphi study, 16 out of 24 statements achieved consensus. The Delphi panel opined that frail or very old adults, except those with limited life expectancy, should be vaccinated due to their vulnerability. They also agree that vaccination decisions should be made by patients when possible, with the involvement of next-of-kin should the frail older adult be unable to do so. Lastly, the panel thought that frail older adults should be included in future clinical trials.ConclusionIn early clinical trials, there is paucity of evidence on efficacy and safety of current COVID-19 vaccines among frail older adults. Geriatricians' consensus indicate that frail older adults should be vaccinated except where life expectancy is limited. Future trials assessing efficacy and safety should include frail older adults.

Project description:BackgroundThe incidence of childhood cancer has risen by 15% since the 1990s. Early diagnosis is key to optimising outcomes, however diagnostic delays are widely reported. Presenting symptoms are often non-specific causing a diagnostic dilemma for clinicians. This Delphi consensus process was conducted to develop a new clinical guideline for children and young people presenting with signs/symptoms suggestive of a bone or abdominal tumour.MethodsInvitation emails were sent to primary and secondary healthcare professionals to join the Delphi panel. 65 statements were derived from evidence review by a multidisciplinary team. Participants were asked to rank their level of agreement with each statement on a 9-point Likert scale (1=strongly disagree, 9=strongly agree), with responses ≥7 taken to indicate agreement. Statements not reaching consensus were rewritten and reissued in a subsequent round.ResultsAll statements achieved consensus after two rounds. 96/133 (72%) participants responded to round 1 (R1) and 69/96 (72%) completed round 2 (R2). 62/65 (94%) statements achieved consensus in R1 with 29/65 (47%) gaining more than 90% consensus. Three statements did not reach consensus scoring between 61% and 69%. All reached numerical consensus at the end of R2. Strong consensus was reached on best practice of conducting the consultation, acknowledging parental instinct and obtaining telephone advice from a paediatrician to decide the timing and place of review, rather than adult cancer urgent referral pathways. Dissensus in statements was due to unachievable targets within primary care and valid concerns over a potential overinvestigation of abdominal pain.ConclusionsThis consensus process has consolidated statements that will be included in a new clinical guideline for suspected bone and abdominal tumours for use in both primary and secondary care. This evidence base will be translated into awareness tools for the public as part of the Child Cancer Smart national awareness campaign.

Project description:BackgroundUrinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common cause to prescribe antibiotics in primary care. Diagnosis is based on the presence of clinical symptoms in combination with the results of laboratory tests. Antibiotic therapy is the primary approach to the treatment of UTIs; however, some studies indicate that therapeutics in UTIs may be suboptimal, potentially leading to therapeutic failure and increased bacterial resistance.MethodsThis study aimed to analyze the antibiotic prescription patterns in adult patients with suspected UTIs and to evaluate the appropriateness of the antibiotic prescription. This is a cross-sectional study of patients treated in outpatient centers and in a second-level hospital of the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) in a city in Ecuador during 2019. The International Classification of Disease Tenth Revision (ICD-10) was used for the selection of the acute UTI cases. The patients included in this study were those treated by family, emergency, and internal medicine physicians.ResultsWe included a total of 507 patients in the analysis and 502 were prescribed antibiotics at first contact, constituting an immediate antibiotic prescription rate of 99.01%. Appropriate criteria for antibiotic prescription were met in 284 patients, representing an appropriate prescription rate of 56.02%. Less than 10% of patients with UTI had a urine culture. The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were alternative antibiotics (also known as second-line antibiotics), such as ciprofloxacin (50.39%) and cephalexin (23.55%). Factors associated with inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for UTIs were physician age over forty years, OR: 2.87 (95% CI, 1.65-5.12) p<0.0001, medical care by a general practitioner, OR: 1.89 (95% CI, 1.20-2.99) p = 0.006, not using point-of-care testing, OR: 1.96 (95% CI, 1.23-3.15) p = 0.005, and care at the first level of health, OR: 15.72 (95% CI, 8.57-30.88) p<0.0001.ConclusionsThe results of our study indicate an appropriate prescription rate of 56.02%. Recommended antibiotics such as nitrofurantoin and fosfomycin for UTIs are underutilized. The odds for inappropriate antibiotic prescription were 15.72 times higher at the first level of care compared to the second. Effective strategies are needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of UTIs.