Nurse Practitioner Attitudes, Perceptions and Knowledge About Antimicrobial Stewardship

Resistance to antibiotics has increased dramatically in the United States, with serious associated medical, social, and economic consequences. The purpose of this project was to assess nurse practitioners\u27 attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge about antimicrobial stewardship and knowledge in the management of anaerobic infections as well as resistant gram-negative bacteremia. Data were collected using a web-based survey in a hospital facility. The practice question explored whether nurse practitioners\u27 attitudes, perceptions, and knowledge about antimicrobial stewardship significantly increased after an education program on antimicrobial stewardship. The project was framed by Knowles\u27s adult learning theory. A 16-item survey was administered before and after an education program to 11 advance practice nurses to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions about antimicrobial stewardship. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents agreed that antibiotics are overused nationally, and 33% agreed that antibiotics are overused within the institution; 88.9% of respondents agreed that inappropriate use of antibiotics can harm patients and that inappropriate use of antibiotics causes antimicrobial resistance (87.5%). Overall, 55.5% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed they were concerned about antimicrobial resistance in the community when prescribing antibiotics. Awareness of antimicrobial stewardship might contribute to social change by increasing the proper identification of organisms and the appropriate use of antibiotics, with the assistance of the antimicrobial stewardship programs, to help reduce the development and spread of antimicrobial resistance

Investigations of Carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella species and associated clinical considerations

The use of many antibiotics to treat infections has become limited in the last decade. Enterobacteriaceae, especially Klebsiella spp., have acquired resistance to quinolones, aminoglycosides, cephalosporins and carbapenems. Resistance to β-lactams is mediated via extended-spectrum β-lactamases, AmpC type β-lactamases and carbapenemases combined with porin loss. Carbapenems are the antibiotics of last resort. The emergence of carbapenemase-producing organisms (CPOs) has led to Public Health England introducing a national toolkit to limit their spread. As part of this requirement, the Charing Cross microbiology laboratory of the Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust revised its screening programme for the detection of CPOs. This improved the detection and isolation of CPOs, and highlighted Klebsiella spp. were more of a problem with respect to multidrug resistance than previously thought. Thirty-nine carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella strains were characterised. Phenotypic tests identified the strains as Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 36) and Klebsiella oxytoca (n = 3). Detailed whole-genome sequence (WGS) analyses showed the K.oxytoca were Klebsiella michiganensis and one of the K. pneumoniae strains to be Klebsiella variicola subsp. variicola. The K. michiganensis strains were all of sequence type 138. They were predicted to encode the β-lactamases blaGES-5, blaSHV-66, blaTEM-1, blaOXA and blaCTX-M-15, and the 12- gene operon of the kleboxymycin biosynthetic gene cluster. This gene cluster encodes for tilimycin and tilivalline, enterotoxins previously thought only to be carried by K. oxytoca strains. Incorporation of antimicrobial resistance and virulence gene data showed hypervirulent, multidrug-resistant K. pneumoniae strains encoding both aerobactin and rmpA (the regulator of mucoid phenotype) or colibactin are present in West London Hospitals. These are a cause for concern, as they have the potential to cause outbreaks that are untreatable. WGS analyses yield more accurate and comprehensive data compared with phenotypic testing, enabling exact identification of clinically important strains, detailed outbreak investigations and molecular characterisation of antibiotic resistance and virulence genes in clinical settings. Thirty-two bacteriophages were isolated from sewage water and found to infect one or more of the clinical Klebsiella isolates. Some phages with broad host ranges (i.e. they infected K. pneumoniae, K. michiganensis, K. variicola and K. grimontii strains) were identified, which may have use in clinical therapeutics against multidrug-resistant infections. These bacteriophages remain to be characterised in detail

Multidrug-Resistant Gram-Negative Pneumonia and Infection in Intensive Care Unit

Multidrug-resistant (MDR) pneumonia can be problematic and challenging to treat in an era of increasing resistance and limited treatment armamentarium. Multidrug-resistant pathogens are associated with increased morbidity and mortality, thus early empiric appropriate antibiotics are critical for survival. Many factors play a role in the selection, optimization, and duration of therapy that should be made on an individual basis. New technologies such as “rapid diagnostics” may provide the clinician with early phenotypic or genotypic result, thus improving early appropriate therapy. The increasing antibiotic resistance is a global threat to patients worldwide and is an economic burden. In the United States, drug-resistant bacteria cause approximately 2 million cases of illnesses and contribute to 23,000 deaths each year. The inappropriate use of antibiotics has contributed to the healthcare burden that ranges from $27 to$42 billion annually. As a result, several governmental agencies have placed forth regulatory mandates to enforce antimicrobial stewardship programs in acute care hospitals. Education will be vital across all healthcare disciplines to ultimately ensure optimal prescribing and reduce the emergence of resistance

Antibiotic prescribing practices and antibiotic use quality indicators in Luang Prabang, Lao PDR: a point prevalence survey in a tertiary care hospital

Context: The increase and global dissemination of antibiotic resistance limit the use of antibiotics to prevent and treat infections. Implementing antibiotic stewardship programs guided by local data on prescription profiles is a useful strategy to reduce the burden of antibiotic resistance. The aim was to determine the prevalence of antibiotic use and guideline compliance at Luang Prabang provincial hospital, Lao PDR. Methods: A point prevalence survey of antibiotics was conducted among hospitalized patients admitted to Luang Prabang hospital (204 beds) in Lao PDR on May 25, 2023. All patients presenting at 8:00 AM were eligible. Sociodemographic data, indications for antibiotic use, and antibiotic prescriptions were collected from medical records using a paper-based questionnaire and entered into an electronic platform following WHO methodology. The prevalence of antibiotic use was determined. Results: Out of the 102 patients included, 60(58.8%) were undergoing antibiotic treatment, of which 33(55.0%) received combination therapy, and 7(10.5%) had two indications for antibiotic use. The highest prevalence was in the surgical ward (14/15, 93%) followed by general paediatrics (18/27, 67%). Out of the 100 antibiotic prescriptions, 47(47%) were for community-acquired infections, 26(26%) for surgical prophylaxis, 13(13%) for hospital-acquired infections and 5(5%) for medical prophylaxis. Twenty(20%) antibiotics were prescribed for obstetrics and gynaecology prophylaxis, 17(17%) for intra-abdominal infections, and 10(10.0%) for pneumonia treatment as well as bone, and joint infections. The main antibiotics prescribed were ceftriaxone 36(34.6%), metronidazole 18(17.3%), ampicillin 8(7.7%), and gentamicin 8(7.7%). Only 2(3%) samples were sent to the laboratory, one of which showed a positive culture for Escherichia coli Extended Spectrum β-Lactamase. According to the WHO Access Watch and Reserve classification, 55(52.9%) molecules belonged to the Access category, 47(49.1%) to the Watch category, and none to the Reserve category. Only 14.9% of antibiotic prescriptions were fully compliant with current guidelines. Conclusion: This study indicated a significant prevalence of antibiotic use and a very low compliance with guidelines at Luang Prabang provincial hospital, Lao PDR. This highlights an urgent need for comprehensive strategies at all levels to optimize antibiotic use in hospitals, emphasizing diagnostic improvements, and continued research to address the factors driving this excessive antibiotic usage and improve adherence to guidelines

Management of Urinary Tract Infections: Problems and Possible Solutions

In clinically suspected urinary tract infections (UTIs), empirical antibiotic treatment is usually started long before the laboratory results of urine culture and antibiogram are available. Although molecular diagnostic approaches are being applied to the diagnosis of many infections, UTIs are generally diagnosed by traditional culture methods. Patient care could greatly benefit from the development of a rapid, accurate, inexpensive test that could be done at patient’s bedside, allowing the practitioner to plan targeted, more effective therapy. Such a test would potentially reduce incorrect or unnecessary use of antibacterial drugs and reduce the emergence of bacterial resistance. In response to this pressing and unmet clinical need, several methods have been developed in the last few years. Among these, the new point-of-care test (POCT) for detecting UTIs named Micro Biological Survey (MBS) UTI CHECK holds promise, as it allows semi-quantitative determination of bacterial load in urine leading to a fast detection of UTIs and to evaluation of bacterial antibiotic susceptibility. This new technology operates through a colorimetric survey performed in low-cost, ready-to-use, disposable vials, in which 1 ml of urine is inoculated without any preliminary treatment and requiring neither specialized personnel nor a specialized equipment

Point-of-care tests for urinary tract infections : protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of diagnostic test accuracy

Funding: DFN is supported by an NES general practice academic fellowship, AAL is supported by an HDR UK clinical postdoctoral fellowship and VHS is supported by an NRS clinical academic fellowship.Introduction Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the second most common type of infection worldwide, accounting for a large number of primary care consultations and antibiotic prescribing. Current diagnosis is based on an empirical approach, relying on symptoms and occasional use of urine dipsticks. The diagnostic reference standard is still urine culture, although it is not routinely recommended for uncomplicated UTIs in the community, due to time to diagnosis (48 hours). Faster point-of-care tests have been developed, but their diagnostic accuracy has not been compared. Our objective is to systematically review and meta-analyse the diagnostic accuracy of currently available point-of-care tests for UTIs. Methods and analysis Studies evaluating the diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care tests for UTIs will be included. PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews were searched from inception to 1 June 2019. Data extraction and risk-of-bias assessment will be assessed using the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. Meta-analysis will be performed depending on data availability and heterogeneity. Ethics and dissemination This is a systematic review protocol and therefore formal ethical approval is not required, as no primary, identifiable, personal data will be collected. Patients or the public were not involved in the design of our research. However, the findings from this review will be shared with key stakeholders, including patient groups, clinicians and guideline developers, and will also be presented and national and international conferences.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Duration of antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteremia - Systematic review and individual participant data (IPD) meta-analysis

Background: We aim to compare the effect of short versus long treatment duration in Gram-negative bacteremia on all-cause mortality in pre-specified sub-groups. Methods: Individual participant data meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing short (≤7) versus longer (>7 days) antibiotic treatment for Gram-negative bacteremia. Participants were adults (≥18 years), with Gram-negative bacteremia during hospital stay. We searched PubMed, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Web of Science to identify trials conducted up to May 2022. Primary outcome was 90-day all-cause mortality. Secondary outcomes were 30-day mortality, relapse of bacteremia, length of hospital stay, readmission, local or distant infection complications, adverse events, and resistance emergence.Outcomes were assessed in pre-specified subgroups: women vs men; non-urinary vs urinary source; presence vs absence of hypotension on initial presentation; immunocompromised patients versus non-immunocompromised patients, and age (above/below 65). Fixed-effect meta-analysis model was used to estimate pooled odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). All three trials had low risk of bias for allocation generation and concealment. Findings: Three RCTs (1186 patients) were included; 1121 with enterobacterales bacteremia. No significant difference in mortality was demonstrated between 7- and 14-days treatment (90-day mortality: OR 1.08, 95% CI 0.73-1.58; 30-day mortality: 1.08, 0.62-1.91). Relapse (1.00, 0.50-1.97); length of hospital stay (P = 0.78); readmission (0.96, 0.80-1.22); and infection complications (local: 1.62 0.76-3.47; distant: 2.00, 0.18-22.08), were without significant difference, and so were adverse events or resistance emergence.No significant difference in clinical outcomes between 7 and 14 days of antibiotics was demonstrated in the subgroups of gender, age, hemodynamic status, immune status, and source of infection. Interpretation: For patients hemodynamically stable and afebrile at 48 h prior to discontinuation, seven days of antibiotic therapy for enterobacterales bacteremia result in similar outcomes as 14 days, in terms of mortality, relapse, length of hospital stay, complications of infection, resistance emergence, and adverse events. These results apply for any adult age group, gender, source of infection, immune status, and hemodynamic status on presentation. Funding: There was no funding source for this study

Investigations on microbiome of the used clinical device revealed many uncultivable newer bacterial species associated with persistent chronic infections

Introduction. Chronic persistent device-related infections (DRIs) often give culture-negative results in a microbiological investigation. In such cases, investigations on the device metagenome might have a diagnostic value. Materials and Methods. The 16SrRNA gene sequence analysis and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of clinical metagenome were performed to detect bacterial diversity on invasive medical devices possibly involved in culture-negative DRIs. Device samples were first subjected to microbiological investigation followed by metagenome analysis. Environmental DNA (e-DNA) isolated from device samples was subjected to 16SrRNA gene amplification followed by Sanger sequencing (n=14). In addition, NGS of the device metagenome was also performed (n=12). Five samples were only common in both methods. Results. Microbial growth was observed in only nine cases; among these, five cases were considered significant growth, and in the remaining four cases, growth was considered either insignificant or contaminated. Culture and sequencing analysis yielded identical results only in six cases. In culture-negative cases, Sanger sequencing of 16SrRNA gene and NGS of 16SrDNA microbiome was able to identify the presence of rarely described human pathogens, namely Streptococcus infantis, Gemella haemolysans, Meiothermus silvanus, Schlegelella aquatica, Rothia mucilaginosa, Serratia nematodiphila, and Enterobacter asburiae, along with some known common nosocomial pathogens. Bacterial species such as M. silvanus and S. nematodiphila that are never reported in human infection were also identified. Conclusions. Results of a small number of diverse samples of this pilot study might lead to a path to study a large number of device samples that may validate the diversity witnessed. The study shows that a culture free, a holistic metagenomic approach using NGS could help identify the pathogens in culture-negative chronic DRIs

Invasive Aspergillosis in Transplant Recipients

Patients with hematological malignancies and recipients of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) as well as solid organ transplant recipients are the groups of patients with the highest risk of invasive fungal infections (IFI). Neutropenia, lymphopenia, chemotherapy of malignancies, radiation therapy, immunosuppressive therapy, administration of glucocorticosteroids, use of central venous catheters, dialysis therapy, liver and kidney failure, and diabetes are diseases and medical conditions which foster invasive fungal infections. In recent years, it has been observed that the most common etiological agents of these infections are yeast-like fungi of the genus Candida, and the second most common is moulds Aspergillus spp. Antifungal agent recommended for therapy of IFI caused by Aspergillus is voriconazole, according to the present guidelines. A combined therapy using voriconazole and caspofungin may not be effective. According to numerous publications, in case of infections caused by strains resistant to voriconazole, a therapeutic success is possible after a switch to the liposomal form of amphotericin B. Due to nonspecific clinical symptoms of IFI caused by Aspergillus spp., histopathological as well as mycological and serological tests, echocardiographic examination, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computer tomography (CT) may contribute to an early and reliable diagnosis of invasive aspergillosis