Reflections on opioid stewardship and the journey to improving intraoperative storage and handling.
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ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Filteau L
PROVIDER: S-EPMC8769087 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
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Reflections on opioid stewardship and the journey to improving intraoperative storage and handling.
Filteau Lucie L Pysyk Christopher L CL
Canadian journal of anaesthesia = Journal canadien d'anesthesie 20220119 8
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Project description:IntroductionPerioperative opioid use has been associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Additionally, opioid disposal carries significant costs, due to the waste of pharmaceutical products and the time needed by skilled labor to report the waste. In this study, we aimed to estimate costs and predict factors of opioid-associated intraoperative product waste, as well as to evaluate whether higher intraoperative opioid doses are associated with increased risk of adverse postoperative outcomes.MethodsWe included 170,607 patients undergoing general anesthesia and receiving intraoperative fentanyl, hydromorphone, or morphine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA, USA, between January 2010 and June 2020. We estimated product waste-associated costs based on various opioid syringe sizes and determined predictors of opioid waste. Further, we evaluated whether higher opioid doses were associated with postoperative adverse events according to the severity-indexed, incident report-based medication error-reporting program classification. The primary outcome included post-extubation desaturation, postoperative nausea or vomiting, or postoperative somnolence or sedation.ResultsThe use of the smallest syringe sizes (50 mcg for fentanyl, 0.2 mg for hydromorphone, and 2 mg for morphine) resulted in the lowest product waste-associated costs. The main predictor of opioid waste was the administration of more than one intraoperative opioid (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 7.64, 95% CI 7.40-7.89, P < 0.001). Intraoperative doses of fentanyl > 50-100 mcg (aOR = 1.17 [1.10-1.25], P < 0.001, adjusted risk difference [ARD] 2%) and > 100 mcg (aOR = 1.24 [1.16-1.33], P < 0.001, ARD 3%), hydromorphone > 1 mg (aOR = 1.13 [1.06-1.20], P < 0.001, ARD 2%), and morphine > 2-4 mg (aOR = 1.26 [1.02-1.56], P = 0.04, ARD 3%) and > 4 mg (aOR = 1.45 [1.18-1.77], P < 0.001, ARD 5%) were associated with higher risk of the primary outcome.ConclusionSmaller syringe sizes of intraoperative opioids may help to reduce product waste and associated costs, as well postoperative adverse events through utilization of lower intraoperative opioid doses.
| S-EPMC10928037 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Background and objectivesInappropriate vancomycin use is common in children's hospitals. We report a quality improvement (QI) intervention to reduce vancomycin use in our tertiary care PICU.MethodsWe retrospectively quantified the prevalence of infections caused by organisms requiring vancomycin therapy, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), among patients with suspected bacterial infections. Guided by these data, we performed 3 QI interventions over a 3-year period, including (1) stakeholder education, (2) generation of a consensus-based guideline for empiric vancomycin use, and (3) implementation of this guideline through clinical decision support. Vancomycin use in days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient days was measured by using statistical process control charts. Balancing measures included frequency of bacteremia due to an organism requiring vancomycin not covered with empiric therapy, 30-day mortality, and cardiovascular, respiratory, and renal organ dysfunction.ResultsAmong 1276 episodes of suspected bacterial infection, a total of 19 cases of bacteremia (1.5%) due to organisms requiring vancomycin therapy were identified, including 6 MRSA bacteremias (0.5%). During the 3-year QI project, overall vancomycin DOT per 1000 patient days in the PICU decreased from a baseline mean of 182 DOT per 1000 patient days to 109 DOT per 1000 patient days (a 40% reduction). All balancing measures were unchanged, and all cases of MRSA bacteremia were treated empirically with vancomycin.ConclusionOur interventions reduced overall vancomycin use in the PICU without evidence of harm. Provider education and consensus building surrounding indications for empiric vancomycin use were key strategies.
| S-EPMC9647566 | biostudies-literature
Project description:ImportanceOpioids administered to treat postsurgical pain are a major contributor to the opioid crisis, leading to chronic use in a considerable proportion of patients. Initiatives promoting opioid-free or opioid-sparing modalities of perioperative pain management have led to reduced opioid administration in the operating room, but this reduction could have unforeseen detrimental effects in terms of postoperative pain outcomes, as the relationship between intraoperative opioid usage and later opioid requirements is not well understood.ObjectiveTo characterize the association between intraoperative opioid usage and postoperative pain and opioid requirements.Design, setting, and participantsThis retrospective cohort study evaluated electronic health record data from a quaternary care academic medical center (Massachusetts General Hospital) for adult patients who underwent noncardiac surgery with general anesthesia from April 2016 to March 2020. Patients who underwent cesarean surgery, received regional anesthesia, received opioids other than fentanyl or hydromorphone, were admitted to the intensive care unit, or who died intraoperatively were excluded. Statistical models were fitted on the propensity weighted data set to characterize the effect of intraoperative opioid exposures on primary and secondary outcomes. Data were analyzed from December 2021 to October 2022.ExposuresIntraoperative fentanyl and intraoperative hydromorphone average effect site concentration estimated using pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic models.Main outcomes and measuresThe primary study outcomes were the maximal pain score during the postanesthesia care unit (PACU) stay and the cumulative opioid dose, quantified in morphine milligram equivalents (MME), administered during the PACU stay. Medium- and long-term outcomes associated with pain and opioid dependence were also evaluated.ResultsThe study cohort included a total of 61 249 individuals undergoing surgery (mean [SD] age, 55.44 [17.08] years; 32 778 [53.5%] female). Increased intraoperative fentanyl and intraoperative hydromorphone were both associated with reduced maximum pain scores in the PACU. Both exposures were also associated with a reduced probability and reduced total dosage of opioid administration in the PACU. In particular, increased fentanyl administration was associated with lower frequency of uncontrolled pain; a decrease in new chronic pain diagnoses reported at 3 months; fewer opioid prescriptions at 30, 90, and 180 days; and decreased new persistent opioid use, without significant increases in adverse effects.Conclusions and relevanceContrary to prevailing trends, reduced opioid administration during surgery may have the unintended outcome of increasing postoperative pain and opioid consumption. Conversely, improvements in long-term outcomes might be achieved by optimizing opioid administration during surgery.
| S-EPMC10267849 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Opioids are one of the most problematic illegal substances globally. Opioid abuse is associated with complications in various spheres of the user's life, his/her family, and the society. Injecting drug use (IDU) is also linked to public health problems such as HIV infection and viral hepatitis. Medications form an important cornerstone in the treatment of opioid dependence. Treatment strategies such as "detoxification" alone or long-term treatment with opioid antagonist have limited acceptability and retention rates. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) has demonstrated better retention rates than other existing treatment strategies and helps improve the individual's functioning as well as his/her quality of life. The use of OST in India spans three decades, with initial use of low-dose buprenorphine followed by higher strength buprenorphine and buprenorphine-naloxone. Other medications such as slow-release oral morphine, and recently, methadone have also been introduced. Indian research also confirms the findings from Western literature on the effectiveness as well as acceptability of this treatment modality. OST received its biggest thrust when it became a part of the National AIDS Control Programme. In recent years, the number of OST centers in India has increased manifold. Practice guidelines, standard operating procedures, and capacity-building mechanisms have been put in place for effective OST implementation. Despite such widespread use, many challenges exist for OST implementation. The targets for ensuring adequate coverage of the population with this treatment are still far away. There is concern of OST being branded as a "harm reduction" intervention reserved only for injecting drug users. Despite three decades of advancements, certain sections of policymakers and practitioners still have reservations with this treatment modality. There is a need to overcome these barriers for OST to become easily accessible to those who need it.
| S-EPMC5419011 | biostudies-other
Project description:Experimental phasing of diffraction data from macromolecular crystals involves deriving phase probability distributions. These distributions are often bimodal, making their weighted average, the centroid phase, improbable, so that electron-density maps computed using centroid phases are often non-interpretable. Density modification brings in information about the characteristics of electron density in protein crystals. In successful cases, this allows a choice between the modes in the phase probability distributions, and the maps can cross the borderline between non-interpretable and interpretable. Based on the suggestions by Vekhter [Vekhter (2005), Acta Cryst. D61, 899-902], the impact of identifying optimized phases for a small number of strong reflections prior to the density-modification process was investigated while using the centroid phase as a starting point for the remaining reflections. A genetic algorithm was developed that optimizes the quality of such phases using the skewness of the density map as a target function. Phases optimized in this way are then used in density modification. In most of the tests, the resulting maps were of higher quality than maps generated from the original centroid phases. In one of the test cases, the new method sufficiently improved a marginal set of experimental SAD phases to enable successful map interpretation. A computer program, SISA, has been developed to apply this method for phase improvement in macromolecular crystallography.
| S-EPMC3792643 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundThis study explored the perceptions of Canadian pharmacists about the barriers and facilitators of providing opioid stewardship activities in pharmacy practice, considering the subsection 56(1) class exemption under Health Canada's Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA).MethodsQualitative key informant telephone interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of pharmacists from across Canada. We included community or primary health care team-based pharmacists who self-identified as having experience with providing care for patients using opioids via the exemptions. All transcripts were de-identified, and thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes. Ethics approval was obtained.ResultsTwenty pharmacists from community and primary health care teams, from all provinces and from urban and rural practices were interviewed. The following themes emerged: 1) optimization of opioid-related patient care, 2) jurisdictional impact and 3) awareness and education. Barriers and facilitators for opioid stewardship activities were identified.DiscussionThe exemptions facilitated the pharmacists' ability to provide opioid stewardship and positively affect patient care by providing continuity of and timely access to care. Our research demonstrated that pharmacists can responsibly and independently manage opioid prescriptions within this expanded scope, demonstrating the valuable contribution pharmacists can have in opioid stewardship.ConclusionPharmacists were willing and able to care for patients receiving opioid medication and thereby played a role in helping address the opioid crisis. The benefits of these exemptions were demonstrated beyond situations related to the COVID-19 pandemic and warrant consideration for consistent implementation across provincial and territorial jurisdictions, thereby ensuring equitable access to care for all Canadians.
| S-EPMC8581809 | biostudies-literature
Project description:International efforts have mandated guidelines on antibiotic use and prescribing, therefore the focus is now on encouraging positive behavioral changes in antibiotic prescribing practice. Documentation of indication and intended duration of antibiotic use in drug charts is an evidence-based method of reducing inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. It is also a standard detailed in our local antimicrobial guidelines. We collected baseline data on compliance with documentation of indication and duration in drug charts in a respiratory ward which revealed compliance rates of 24% and 39% respectively. We introduced interventions to improve accessibility to the guideline and to increase awareness by distributing antibiotic guardian pocket cards with a three-point checklist and strategically-placed mini-posters. We also aim to increase team motivation by obtaining their feedback in multidisciplinary team meetings and by introducing certificates for their involvement in the quality improvement process. The results of the second cycle post-intervention showed an increase in compliance rates for documentation of indication and duration of 97% and 69% respectively. After a further awareness and discussion session at the multidisciplinary team meeting with the local antimicrobial management team audit nurses, a third cycle showed compliance rates of 94% and 71% for indication and duration respectively. This project has highlighted the importance of improving accessibility and of encouraging interventions that would bring about a change in personal value and subsequently in behavior and individual practice.
| S-EPMC4752714 | biostudies-literature
Project description:BackgroundDespite significant efforts, deaths due to drug overdose remain at near record levels. In efforts combat this crisis, the Joint Commission now requires that accredited hospitals implement safe opioid prescribing practices. Emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to opioid use disorder (OUD) provide an opportunity to initiate evidence-based treatment. However, both situations require the presence of qualified physician leaders and clinicians, which many facilities lack. Medical toxicologists have the expertise needed to fill these voids, but the scope and prevalence of their involvement are unknown. We sought to determine the engagement of medical toxicologists in leading opioid stewardship initiatives and the treatment of patients with OUD.MethodsMembers of the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) were surveyed about their leadership roles in opioid stewardship and clinical practices regarding OUD from March-June 2019. ACMT represents more than 80% of the nation's board-certified medical toxicologists. The electronic survey utilized branching logic and results are presented descriptively; thus, responses are presented as a percentage of the number of respondents to individual questions rather than the total number of participants.ResultsOne hundred and thirty-one out of 382 eligible individuals from at least 76 institutions responded to the survey. A majority (60%) had a DATA 2000 X-waiver, 21% were board-certified in addiction medicine (AM), and an additional 22% were definitely or possibly planning to pursue board certification in AM. Sixteen percent of respondents reported having a formal leadership role to address opioid pain management and stewardship, and 17% had a formal leadership role that specifically addresses clinical treatment for OUD within their institution. Fifty-seven respondents prescribed buprenorphine in emergency medicine practice, 41 as inpatient consultants, and 23 in an outpatient clinic.ConclusionsMedical toxicologists can serve as leaders to promote safe opioid prescribing practices through both institutional and governmental opioid task forces and opioid stewardship programs. They also provide important addiction-related clinical care to patients with OUD.
| S-EPMC7099099 | biostudies-literature
Project description:Because procedures of handling and storage of body fluids affect numbers and composition of extracellular vesicles (EVs), standardization is important to ensure reliable and comparable measurements of EVs in a clinical environment. We aimed to develop standard protocols for handling and storage of human body fluids for EV analysis. Conditions such as centrifugation, single freeze-thaw cycle, effect of time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation and storage were investigated. Plasma is the most commonly studied body fluid in EV research. We mainly focused on EVs originating from platelets and erythrocytes and investigated the behaviour of these 2 types of EVs independently as well as in plasma samples of healthy subjects. EVs in urine and saliva were also studied for comparison. All samples were analysed simultaneously before and after freeze-thawing by resistive pulse sensing, nanoparticle tracking analysis, conventional flow cytometry (FCM) and transmission (scanning) electron microscopy. Our main finding is that the effect of centrifugation markedly depends on the cellular origin of EVs. Whereas erythrocyte EVs remain present as single EVs after centrifugation, platelet EVs form aggregates, which affect their measured concentration in plasma. Single erythrocyte and platelet EVs are present mainly in the range of 100-200 nm, far below the lower limit of what can be measured by conventional FCM. Furthermore, the effects of single freeze-thaw cycle, time delay between blood collection and plasma preparation up to 1 hour and storage up to 1 year are insignificant (p>0.05) on the measured concentration and diameter of EVs from erythrocyte and platelet concentrates and EVs in plasma, urine and saliva. In conclusion, in standard protocols for EV studies, centrifugation to isolate EVs from collected body fluids should be avoided. Freezing and storage of collected body fluids, albeit their insignificant effects, should be performed identically for comparative EV studies and to create reliable biorepositories.
| S-EPMC4643195 | biostudies-literature