RATIONAL USE OF ANTIMICROBIAL DRUGS IN CLINICAL PRACTICE BY IMPLEMENTING ANTIMICROBIAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS

Prema dosadašnjim istraživanjima neracionalna primjena antimikrobne terapije značajan je problem u bolničkim i vanbolničkim ustanovama. Studije su pokazale da se približno 50 % antimikrobnih lijekova koristi nepotrebno i suboptimalno s obzirom na indikaciju, vrstu antimikrobnog lijeka, te duljinu primjene. Dosadašnja istraživanja su pokazala uzlazni trend prevalencije Clostridium diffi cile pseudomembranoznog kolitisa, bakterijskih patogena rezistentnih na fl uorokinolone i vankomicin rezistentnih enterokoka. Porast multirezistencije gram negativnih bakterija i na karbapeneme opasnost je za sigurnost bolesnika te ostavlja ograničene terapijske mogućnosti zadnje linije obrane poput primjene toksičnog polimiksinskog ntibiotika kolistina. U skladu s time mogućnosti optimalnog infektivnog liječenja već sada postaju ograničavajuće. Prema dosadašnjim radovima uvođenje bolničkog programa praćenja i rukovođenja antimikrobnom terapijom pokazalo se dobrim sredstvom optimalizacije antimikrobne terapije u 81 % studija. Primjena ovoga programa dovela je do značajnog poboljšanja mikrobiološkog ishoda, smanjenja stope antimikrobne rezistencije i nuspojava te kliničkog ishoda poput smanjenja stope mortaliteta i duljine boravka u bolnici. Stoga su Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, USA (CDC) i European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) suglasne da bi zdravstvene ustanove trebale implementirati multidisciplinarni Bolnički program praćenja i rukovođenja antimikrobnom terapijom (engl. Antimicrobic Stewardship Programs - ASP) u svakodnevnu kliničku praksu. Primjena navedenog programa započeta je 1. 12. 2016. g. u Klinici za kardiovaskularne bolesti Magdalena u sklopu Internacionalne kanadske akreditacije (Accreditation Canada International).According to studies, about 50% of antimicrobial drugs are prescribed unnecessarily and inappropriately in hospitals and other healthcare institutions. Besides the high prevalence of Clostridium diffi cile infection, of particular concern is the increase in bacterial pathogen resistance to fl uoroquinolones and vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Additionally, infections due to bacterial pathogens completely resistant to carbapenems are currently emerging in Europe. In this case, therapeutic options are limited to the use of the polymyxin antibiotic colistin, which is old and has many adverse and toxic events. Growing evidence demonstrates that hospital programs dedicated to improving the use of antimicrobial therapy, referred to as Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP), can optimize treatment of infections, reduce adverse events of antimicrobial therapy, improve patient safety and quality of care, and at the same time signifi cantly reduce hospital costs, mortality rate and length of hospital stay. Therefore, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control recommend that every acute care hospital implement the multidisciplinary ASP in daily clinical practice

Is the extent of left atrial fibrosis associated with body mass index in patients undergoing pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation?

Background: Left atrial (LA) fibrosis is associated with a higher rate of recurrence of atrial fibrillation (AF) after pulmonary vein isolation (PVI). Body mass index (BMI) is strongly associated with the prevalence of AF, but there is insufficient data about the association between BMI and LA fibrosis.Aims: The aim of the study was to examine the association between LA fibrosis and BMI in patients with AF undergoing PVI.Methods: In 114 patients an electro-anatomical voltage map was created using the CARTO 3 three-dimensional system before PVI. The total fibrosis area (voltage criteria ≤0.5 mV), percentage, and the number of fibrotic areas were calculated. A general linear model was used to determine the differences in BMI with confounders between groups of patients with differing extents of fibrosis and numbers of focuses.Results: Advanced fibrosis was found in 53 (47%) patients, in up to 9 areas with a median of 2 and an interquartile range (IQR) of 0–3. The median total fibrotic area was 27.3 cm2 with an IQR of 0.1–30.3 cm2. Patients were stratified by percentage of fibrotic area: <5%, 5%–20%, 20%–35%, and above 35%; no significant difference in mean BMI was found between the groups (P = 0.57). When stratified by the number of fibrotic areas (0, 1, 2, and ≥3 fibrotic areas), no difference in BMI was noted between the groups (P = 0.67).Conclusions: Fibrosis of the LA, as the strongest predictor of AF recurrence after PVI, does not correlate with BMI in patients with AF where PVI is indicated