BACKGROUND: Meeting antibiotic stewardship goals in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is challenging because of the unique nature of newborns and the lack of specificity of clinical signs of sepsis. Antibiotics are commonly continued for 48 hours pending culture results and clinical status. The goal of this study was to examine if the implementation of a 48-hour automatic stop (autostop) order during NICU admissions would decrease antibiotic use at UnityPoint Health-Meriter. METHODS: An observational double-cohort study was performed in a level 3 NICU. Antibiotic use was evaluated before and after the autostop initiative. The admission order set included 48 hours of ampicillin and gentamicin coverage. RESULTS: After the autostop initiation, total doses given per patient decreased by 35% and doses per patient-day decreased by 25% (P < .0001). The greatest effect was a 66% decrease in the use of vancomycin, an antibiotic not included in the admission order set. Providers proactively continued antibiotics for infants in whom they had high suspicion for sepsis and in those with positive blood or cerebral spinal fluid culture results. CONCLUSIONS: An admission-order autostop was highly effective at decreasing antibiotic usage with no doses intended for a pathogen missed. Fewer doses of certain antibiotics outside of the admission order set were administered, particularly vancomycin, which results in our speculation that provider awareness of the antibiotic stewardship initiative might have altered prescribing practices.
BACKGROUND: Meeting antibiotic stewardship goals in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is challenging because of the unique nature of newborns and the lack of specificity of clinical signs of sepsis. Antibiotics are commonly continued for 48 hours pending culture results and clinical status. The goal of this study was to examine if the implementation of a 48-hour automatic stop (autostop) order during NICU admissions would decrease antibiotic use at UnityPoint Health-Meriter. METHODS: An observational double-cohort study was performed in a level 3 NICU. Antibiotic use was evaluated before and after the autostop initiative. The admission order set included 48 hours of ampicillin and gentamicin coverage. RESULTS: After the autostop initiation, total doses given per patient decreased by 35% and doses per patient-day decreased by 25% (P < .0001). The greatest effect was a 66% decrease in the use of vancomycin, an antibiotic not included in the admission order set. Providers proactively continued antibiotics for infants in whom they had high suspicion for sepsis and in those with positive blood or cerebral spinal fluid culture results. CONCLUSIONS: An admission-order autostop was highly effective at decreasing antibiotic usage with no doses intended for a pathogen missed. Fewer doses of certain antibiotics outside of the admission order set were administered, particularly vancomycin, which results in our speculation that provider awareness of the antibiotic stewardship initiative might have altered prescribing practices.
Authors: Dustin D Flannery; Sagori Mukhopadhyay; Erik A Jensen; Jeffrey S Gerber; Molly R Passarella; Kevin Dysart; Zubair H Aghai; Jay Greenspan; Karen M Puopolo Journal: J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc Date: 2021-03-26 Impact factor: 3.164
Authors: Christian Magnus Thaulow; Dag Berild; Hege Salvesen Blix; Anne Karin Brigtsen; Tor Åge Myklebust; Beate Horsberg Eriksen Journal: Front Pediatr Date: 2019-10-24 Impact factor: 3.418
Authors: D Donà; E Barbieri; M Daverio; R Lundin; C Giaquinto; T Zaoutis; M Sharland Journal: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control Date: 2020-01-03 Impact factor: 4.887
Authors: Fleur M Keij; Niek B Achten; Gerdien A Tramper-Stranders; Karel Allegaert; Annemarie M C van Rossum; Irwin K M Reiss; René F Kornelisse Journal: Front Pediatr Date: 2021-04-01 Impact factor: 3.418