Male veterans with complicated urinary tract infections: Influence of a patient-centered antimicrobial stewardship program.

BACKGROUND: The influence of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on outcomes in male veterans treated for complicated urinary tract infection has not been determined. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study encompassing the study period January 1, 2005-October 31, 2014, which was conducted at a 150-bed Veterans Affairs Healthcare System facility in Buffalo, NY. Male veterans admitted for treatment of complicated urinary tract infection were identified using ICD-9-CM codes. Outcomes before and after implementation of a patient-centered ASP, including duration of antibiotic therapy, length of hospitalization, readmission within 30 days, and Clostridium difficile infection were compared. Interventions resulting from the ASP were categorized. RESULTS: Of the 1,268 patients screened, 241 met criteria for inclusion in the study (n = 118 and n = 123 in the pre-ASP and ASP group, respectively). Duration of antibiotic therapy was significantly shorter in the ASP group (10.32 days vs 11.96 days; P < .0001), as was length of hospitalization (5.76 days vs 6.76 days; P = .015). There was no difference in 30-day readmission. A total of 170 interventions were identified that resulted from the ASP (1.39 interventions per patient). CONCLUSIONS: ASPs may be useful to improve clinical outcomes in men with complicated urinary tract infection. Implementation of an ASP was associated with significant decreases in duration of antibiotic therapy and length of hospitalization, without adversely affecting 30-day readmission rates.

Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship on Outcomes in Hospitalized Veterans With Pneumonia.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) on outcomes for inpatients with pneumonia, including length of stay, treatment duration, and 30-day readmission rates. METHODS: A retrospective chart review comparing outcomes of veterans admitted with pneumonia before (2005-2006) and after (2013-2014) implementation of an ASP was conducted; pneumonia was defined according to International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes. Infectious diseases physicians and pharmacist in the ASP provided appropriate recommendations to the primary medicine teams. Bivariate analysis of baseline characteristics and comorbid conditions were performed between the time frames. Least squares regression was used to analyze length of stay, time of IV to PO conversions, and duration of antibiotics. Multivariate logistic regressions were used to determine odds of 30-day readmission and odds of Clostridium difficile infections between time periods. FINDINGS: There were 86 patients in the pre-ASP period and 88 patients in the ASP period. Mean length of stay decreased from 8.1 to 6.6 days (P = 0.02), total duration of antibiotic therapy decreased from 12 to 8.5 days (P < 0.0001), and time of IV to PO antibiotic conversions decreased from 5.3 to 3.9 days (P = 0.0003), before ASP and during ASP, respectively. The odds ratio of 30-day readmission before ASP was 2.78 and 0.36 during the ASP (P = 0.05). The odds ratios of Clostridium difficile infections before ASP was 2.08 and 0.48 during the ASP (P = 0.37). IMPLICATIONS: The ASP interventions were associated with shorter durations of therapy, shorter lengths of stay, and lower rates of readmission and Clostridium difficile infections within 30 days. Limitations of this study are retrospective cohort design, small study population, limited study population diversity, and non-concurrent cohort times periods.