Which pharmacists are performing antimicrobial stewardship: A national survey and a call for collaborative efforts

Abstract Objectives: To determine how pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) responsibilities prioritize their time and pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities contribute to ASP activities. Design: A nationwide survey. Respondents: Members of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy who subscribe to the following practice and research network e-mail listservs: infectious diseases, adult medicine, cardiology, critical care, hematology-oncology, immunology and transplantation, and pediatrics. Methods: A survey was distributed via listservs. Respondents were asked about their personal and institutional demographics and ASP activities. Results: In total, 245 pharmacists responded: 135 pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities; 110 pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities. Although most respondents had completed a general pharmacy residency (85%), only 20% had completed an infectious diseases (ID) specialty residency. Among pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities, one-third had no formal training or certification in ID or ASP. Pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities spent ∼12.5% of their time per week on ASP activities, whereas pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities spent 28% of their time performing non-ASP activities. Pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities were more likely than pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities to perform antibiotic guideline development (P \u3c.001), antibiotic-related education (P =.002), and direct notification of rapid diagnostic results (P =.018). Pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities without formal ID training or certification spent less time on ASP activities and were more likely to perform lower-level interventions. Conclusions: Many ASP activities are being performed by pharmacists without formal ID training. To ensure the future success of ASPs, pharmacists with formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities should have adequate training to meet more advanced metrics, and more pharmacists without formal antimicrobial stewardship program responsibilities should be included in basic interventions

Real-world, multicentre evaluation of the incidence and risk factors for non-susceptible Stenotrophomonas maltophilia isolates

Background: Stenotrophomonas maltophilia is a cause of infection most commonly in the opportunistic host. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole and levofloxacin are considered first-line treatment agents. With reports of increasing resistance to these first-line agents, it is important to determine risk factors associated with a non-susceptible isolate. Methods: This was a real-world, multicentre, retrospective case-control study from five centres in the southeast United States evaluating S. maltophilia. The primary outcome was risk factors associated with non-susceptibility of S. maltophilia isolates to ≥1 antimicrobial agents. Secondary outcomes include incidence of S. maltophilia non-susceptibility, all-cause mortality, and 30-day readmission rates. Results: There were 325 patients included in the study. For the primary outcome, the only factor associated with non-susceptibility per univariate analysis was isolation from urine culture (13.3% vs. 5.4%; P = 0.014), whereas the presence of mechanical ventilation (37.7% vs. 21.5%) and intensive care unit admission (35.3% vs. 18.4%) were associated with susceptibility (P \u3c 0.001). For the secondary outcomes, non-susceptibility was present in 49% of isolates with 43 of 325 (13.2%), 53 of 324 (16.4%), and 105 of 172 (61%) to TMP-SMX, levofloxacin, and ceftazidime, respectively. Resistance to chloramphenicol and tigecycline was observed among 5/26 and 11/16 of tested isolates, respectively. Sixty-six patients (20%) experienced all-cause, inpatient mortality (18% susceptible vs. 23% non-susceptible; P = 0.280) and 44 patients (17%) were readmitted within 30 days of discharge (16% susceptible vs. 18% non-susceptible; P = 0.673). Conclusion: S. maltophilia non-susceptibility had a prevalence of ∼50% to at least one first-line or commonly used agent. More research is needed to delineate risk factors for non-susceptible isolates

Cryptococcosis in a patient with multiple myeloma receiving pomalidomide: a case report and literature review

While overall survival with multiple myeloma (MM) has improved, patients suffer from overwhelming tumor burden, MM-associated comorbidities, and frequent relapses requiring administration of salvage therapies. As a result, this vicious cycle is often characterized by cumulative immunodeficiency stemming from a combination of disease- and treatment-related factors leading to neutropenia, T-cell deficiency, and hypogammaglobulinemia. Infectious etiologies differ based on the duration of MM and treatment-related factors, such as number of previous treatments and cumulative dose of corticosteroids. Herein, we present the case of a patient who was receiving pomalidomide without concomitant corticosteroids for MM and was later found to have cryptococcosis, as well as findings from a literature review. Most cases of cryptococcosis are reported in patients with late-stage MM, as well as those receiving novel anti-myeloma agents, such as pomalidomide, in combination with corticosteroids or following transplantation. However, it is likely cryptococcosis may be underdiagnosed in this population. Due to the cumulative immunodeficiency present in patients with MM, clinicians must be suspicious of cryptococcosis at any stage of MM

Epidemiological trends and clinical outcomes of cryptococcosis in a medically insured population in the United States: a claims-based analysis from 2017 to 2019

Background: Emerging risk factors highlight the need for an updated understanding of cryptococcosis in the United States. Objective: Describe the epidemiological trends and clinical outcomes of cryptococcosis in three patient groups: people with HIV (PWH), non-HIV-infected and non-transplant (NHNT) patients, and patients with a history of solid organ transplantation. Methods: We utilized data from the Merative Medicaid Database to identify individuals aged 18 and above with cryptococcosis based on the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision diagnosis codes from January 2017 to December 2019. Patients were stratified into PWH, NHNT patients, and transplant recipients according to Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines. Baseline characteristics, types of cryptococcosis, hospitalization details, and in-hospital mortality rates were compared across groups. Results: Among 703 patients, 59.7% were PWH, 35.6% were NHNT, and 4.7% were transplant recipients. PWH were more likely to be younger, male, identify as Black, and have fewer comorbidities than patients in the NHNT and transplant groups. Notably, 24% of NHNT patients lacked comorbidities. Central nervous system, pulmonary, and disseminated cryptococcosis were most common overall (60%, 14%, and 11%, respectively). The incidence of cryptococcosis fluctuated throughout the study period. PWH accounted for over 50% of cases from June 2017 to June 2019, but this proportion decreased to 47% from July to December 2019. Among the 52% of patients requiring hospitalization, 61% were PWH and 35% were NHNT patients. PWH had longer hospital stays. In-hospital mortality at 90days was significantly higher in NHNT patients (22%) compared to PWH (7%) and transplant recipients (0%). One-year mortality remained lowest among PWH (8%) compared to NHNT patients (22%) and transplant recipients (13%). Conclusion: In this study, most cases of cryptococcosis were PWH. Interestingly, while the incidence remained relatively stable in PWH, it slightly increased in those without HIV by the end of the study period. Mortality was highest in NHNT patients

A Baker\u27s Dozen of Top Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention Publications in 2017

With an increasing number of antimicrobial stewardship-related articles published each year, attempting to stay current is challenging. The Southeastern Research Group Endeavor (SERGE-45) identified antimicrobial stewardship-related peer-reviewed literature that detailed an actionable intervention for 2017. The top 13 publications were selected using a modified Delphi technique. These manuscripts were reviewed to highlight the actionable intervention used by antimicrobial stewardship programs to provide key stewardship literature for training and teaching and identify potential intervention opportunities within their institutions

Risk of Invasive Fungal Infections in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia treated with Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors – A Case-Control Propensity Score Matched Analysis

Background: Prior reports have suggested a possible increase in the frequency of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) with use of a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitors (BTKi) for treatment of chronic lymphoid malignancies such as chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), but precise estimates are lacking. We aim to characterize the prevalence of IFIs among patients with CLL, for whom BTKi are now the first line recommended therapy. Methods: We queried TriNetX, a global research network database, to identify adult patients with CLL using the ICD-10 codes (C91.1) and laboratory results. We performed a case-control propensity score-matched analysis to determine IFIs events by BTKi use. We adjusted for age, sex, ethnicity, and clinical risk factors associated with an increased risk of IFIs. Results: Among 5,358 matched patients with CLL, we found an incidence of 4.6% of IFIs in patients on a BTKi vs. 3.5% among patients with CLL not on a BTKi at five years. Approximately 1% of patients with CLL developed an IFI while on a BTKi within this period. Our adjusted IFI event analysis found an elevated rate of Pneumocytis jirovecii pneumonia (PJP) (0.5% vs. 0.3%, p = 0.02) and invasive candidiasis (3.5% vs 2.7%, p = 0.012) with the use of a BTKi. The number needed to harm for patients taking a BTKi was 120 and 358 for invasive candidiasis and PJP, respectively. Conclusions: We found an adjusted elevated rate of PJP and invasive candidiasis with BTKi use. The rates are however low with a high number needed to harm. Additional studies stratifying other IFIs with specific BTKi are required to identify at-risk patients and preventive, cost-effective interventions

A Baker’s Dozen of Top Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention Publications in 2019

Staying current on literature related to antimicrobial stewardship can be challenging given the ever-increasing number of published articles. The Southeastern Research Group Endeavor (SERGE-45) identified antimicrobial stewardship–related peer-reviewed literature that detailed an actionable intervention for 2019. The top 13 publications were selected using a modified Delphi technique. These manuscripts were reviewed to highlight the actionable intervention used by antimicrobial stewardship programs to provide key stewardship literature for teaching and training and to identify potential intervention opportunities within one’s institution

A Baker’s dozen of top antimicrobial stewardship intervention publications in 2019

© The Author(s) 2020. Staying current on literature related to antimicrobial stewardship can be challenging given the ever-increasing number of published articles. The Southeastern Research Group Endeavor (SERGE-45) identified antimicrobial stewardship–related peer-reviewed literature that detailed an actionable intervention for 2019. The top 13 publications were selected using a modified Delphi technique. These manuscripts were reviewed to highlight the actionable intervention used by antimicrobial stewardship programs to provide key stewardship literature for teaching and training and to identify potential intervention opportunities within one’s institution

A Baker\u27s Dozen of Top Antimicrobial Stewardship Intervention Publications in 2019

Staying current on literature related to antimicrobial stewardship can be challenging given the ever-increasing number of published articles. The Southeastern Research Group Endeavor (SERGE-45) identified antimicrobial stewardship-related peer-reviewed literature that detailed an actionable intervention for 2019. The top 13 publications were selected using a modified Delphi technique. These manuscripts were reviewed to highlight the actionable intervention used by antimicrobial stewardship programs to provide key stewardship literature for teaching and training and to identify potential intervention opportunities within one\u27s institution