Infectious diseases and therapy
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Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSIs) are among the most common infections treated in hospitals, but to date, there has been little information with regards to the implementation of Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASPs) for patients with ABSSSIs. Hence, we aim to evaluate the impact of ASPs on the following outcomes in patients with ABSSSIs: duration of therapy and hospital stay, 14-day reinfection, infection-related readmissions and mortality. ⋯ Interventions recommended by the ASP in Singapore General Hospital were safe and associated with a significant reduction in duration of therapy and hospital stay. The results of our study have affirmed the role of ASP in optimizing the care of patients with ABSSSI.
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Recent studies indicate that death certificate-based single-cause-of-death diagnoses can substantially underestimate the contribution of sepsis to mortality in the general population and among maternal decedents. There are no population-based data in the United States on the patterns of the contribution of sepsis to pregnancy-associated deaths. ⋯ Sepsis has become the most commonly reported potential cause of death among maternal decedents in the present cohort, noted in over 1 in 4 fatal hospitalizations by the end of the last decade. Although causality cannot be inferred from administrative data, given its known contribution to maternal death, it is likely that sepsis plays an increasing role in fatal maternal hospital outcomes. The prevalent co-reporting of multiple potential causes of maternal death in the present cohort underscores the complexity of determining the sources of evolving rise of maternal mortality.
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Ensuring timely administration of antimicrobials is critical in the management of patients with infections. Mortality increases by 7.6% for every hour of delay in the administration of antimicrobial therapy in patients with sepsis. The time elapsed from the written antibiotic order to actual intravenous administration or 'hang-time' can often be several hours due to logistics within the hospital. Our purpose is to evaluate the change in compliance with administering antimicrobials within an hour of prescription after implementation of a national antibiotic stewardship pharmacist-driven hang-time process improvement protocol. ⋯ Noninfectious disease pharmacists can significantly improve the timely administration of antimicrobials and contribute to low-hanging-fruit antimicrobial stewardship initiatives within a hospital system in a resource-limited country.
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The literature contains robust evidence on the positive impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP) in the inpatient setting. With national policies shifting toward provisions of quality health care, the impetus to expand ASP services becomes an important strategy for institutions. However data on stewardship initiatives in other settings are less characterized. ⋯ Based on the current literature, a combination of strategies for initiating ASP services in the ED will be described. Furthermore, common scenarios and management approaches are proposed for respiratory tract, skin and soft tissue, and urinary tract infections. Expansion of ASP services across the health care continuum may improve patient outcomes with a potential associated decrease in health care costs while preventing adverse effects including the development of antibiotic resistance.