[Work of a multidisciplinary team in the control of the prescription of ertapenem]. / Actuación de un equipo multidisplinario en el control de la prescripción de ertapenem.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of the intervention of a multidiscipline antimicrobial control group in the correct prescription of Ertapenem. METHOD: A four-month long, prospective study into prescriptions for Ertapenem was carried out in a third-level hospital. Assessment into the degree of suitability of each prescription according to the infections commission usage criteria. In the situation where prescriptions were not suitable, recommendations were given and acceptance of this was recorded. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial treatment used was assessed and treatment was considered effective when there was remission of the signs and symptoms of the infection when the treatment was completed. The treatment was considered to have failed when the signs and symptoms of infection persisted or progressed, requiring the addition of another antimicrobial agent, changing antibiotics or the prolongation of the treatment for longer than 2 weeks. Lastly, the differences in the average length of stay and the duration of the antibiotic treatment between groups were analysed. RESULTS: Forty-eight prescriptions were assessed. The usage criterion was adequate in 48 % of cases, with 78 % effectiveness in this group. In the cases where the prescription was not adequate, but a change in prescription was accepted, the effectiveness was 92 %, with 55.5 % of those cases not accepting recommendation for change. The average stay was higher in this last group (p = 0.07). The duration of the antibiotic treatment in the patients who accepted the change in prescription was significantly less than in those who did not accept it (2 vs 7.4 days, p < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The control of Ertapenem prescriptions by a multidisciplinary team was effective.

Actuación de un equipo multidisplinario en el control de la prescripción de ertapenem* / Work of a multidisciplinary team in the control of the prescription of ertapenem

Objetivo: Determinar la efectividad de la intervención de un grupo multidisciplinario de control antimicrobiano en la correcta prescripción de ertapenem. Método: Estudio prospectivo, durante un período de 4 meses, de las prescripciones de ertapenem realizadas en un hospital de tercer nivel. Evaluación del grado de adecuación de cada prescripción a los criterios de utilización de la comisión de infecciones. En las situaciones en las que no se adecuaban, se emitió una recomendación y se registró la aceptación de éstas. Se evaluó la efectividad del tratamiento antimicrobiano utilizado; para ello, se consideró tratamiento efectivo cuando hubo remisión de los signos y los síntomas de la infección al finalizar el tratamiento. Se consideró fracaso del tratamiento cuando los signos y los síntomas de la infección persistieron o progresaron, requiriendo la adición de otro antimicrobiano, la sustitución por otro/s antibiótico/s o la prolongación del tratamiento más allá de 2 semanas. Finalmente, se analizaron las diferencias de estancia media y duración de tratamiento antibiótico entre los grupos. Resultados: Se evaluaron 48 prescripciones. Se adecuaron a los criterios de uso un 48 % de éstas, con una efectividad del 78 % en este grupo. En los casos en los que la prescripción no se adecuó, pero se aceptó un cambio de tratamiento, la efectividad fue del 92 %, y fue del 55,5 % en los casos en los que no se aceptó esta recomendación. La tendencia de la estancia media fue mayor en este último grupo (p = 0,07). La duración del tratamiento antibiótico en los pacientes en los que se aceptó el cambio fue significativamente menor que en los que no se aceptó (2 frente a 7,4 días; p < 0,0001). Conclusiones: El control de las prescripciones de ertapenem por un equipo multidisciplinario fue efectivo (AU)

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of the intervention of a multidiscipline antimicrobial control group in the correct prescription of Ertapenem.Method: A four-month long, prospective study into prescriptions for Ertapenem was carried out in a third-level hospital. Assessment into the degree of suitability of each prescription according to the infections commission usage criteria. In the situation where prescriptions were not suitable, recommendations were given and acceptance of this was recorded. The effectiveness of the antimicrobial treatment used was assessed and treatment was considered effective when there was remission of the signs and symptoms of the infection when the treatment was completed. The treatment was considered to have failed when the signs and symptoms of infection persisted or progressed, requiring the addition of another antimicrobial agent, changing antibiotics or the prolongation of the treatment for longer than 2 weeks. Lastly, the differences in the average length of stay and the duration of the antibiotic treatment between groups were analysed.Results: Forty-eight prescriptions were assessed. The usage criterion was adequate in 48 % of cases, with 78 % effectiveness in this group. In the cases where the prescription was not adequate, but a change in prescription was accepted, the effectiveness was 92 %, with 55.5 % of those cases not accepting recommendation for change. The average stay was higher in this last group (p = 0.07). The duration of the antibiotic treatment in the patients who accepted the change in prescription was signifi cantly less than in those who did not accept it (2 vs 7.4 days, p < 0.0001).Conclusions: The control of Ertapenem prescriptions by a multidisciplinary team was effective (AU)

[Bacteremia caused by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: epidemiology, clinical features, and prognosis factors]. / Bacteriemias por Stenotrophomonas maltophilia: epidemiología, características clínicas y factores pronósticos.

The epidemiologic, clinical and prognostic characteristics of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremias for a six-year period (January 1993 to December 1998) were reviewed. Twenty episodes of S. maltophilia bacteremia were include, which represented 0.62% of all bacteremias caused by gram-negative rods during that period. Seventy percent of bacteremias were clinically significant. The most common predisposing factors were the previous use of antimicrobial agents and the presence of vascular catheters. In most cases (57%), the origin of bacteremia was the intravascular catheter. The course of patients was favorable and all patients cured.

Bacteriemias por stenotrophomonas maltophilia: epidemiología, características clínicas y factores pronósticos / Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia: epidemiology, clinical characteristics and prognostic factors

Se revisan las características epidemiológicas, clínicas y pronósticas de las bacteriemias por Stenotrophomonas maltophilia durante un período de seis años (enero de 1993-diciembre de 1998). Se incluyeron 20 episodios de bacteriemia por S. maltophilia que representan el 0,62 por ciento de las bacteriemias por bacilos gramnegativos de ese período. El 70 por ciento de las bacteriemias fueron clínicamente significativas. Los factores predisponentes más frecuentes fueron el uso previo de antimicrobianos y la presencia de catéter vascular. El origen de la bacteriemia fue el catéter intravascular en la mayoría de los casos (57 por ciento). La evolución de los pacientes fue favorable, alcanzando la curación en todos los casos (AU)

[Infectious complications of heart transplantation. A prospective study for the first 6 years of a transplantation program]. / Complicaciones infecciosas de trasplante cardíaco. Estudio prospectivo durante los seis primeros años de programa de trasplante.

OBJECTIVE: To study the infectious complications, mortality, and associated factors in heart transplant recipients. METHODS: Prospective study of the first 69 heart transplantations performed from January 1991 until December 1996 in a university hospital. Description of clinical features of infectious complications during the first year after transplantation. Univariate and multivariate analyses of the risk factors associated with mortality and development of infectious complications. RESULTS: Seventy-three percent of patients had at least one infectious complication; the incidence was 1.13 episodes per patient-year. The etiology of complications was bacterial (50%), viral (31%), Pneumocystis carinii (5%), fungal (4%), and protozoal (4%). The opportunist organisms accounted for 42% of cases. Pneumonia was the most common complication (28%), followed by mucocutaneous herpetic reactivation (19%), bacteremia (13%), urinary tract infection (13%), cytomegalovirus disease (11.5%), pleural empyema (5%) and surgical wound infection (5%). Nosocomial pneumonia accounted for 50% of cases. Gram-negative rods accounted for 41% of pneumonia cases. A total of 62.5% of deaths were directly related to infectious complications. Factors independently associated with mortality were hospital origin at transplantation (RR = 4.5 [2-9], p = 0.034), development of infectious complications in the post-heart transplantation period (RR = 3.2 [1.2-12], p = 0.04) and a more prolonged hospital stay at ICU (p = 0.0004). The factor which was independently associated with the development of infectious complications was one or more severe episodes of acute rejection (RR = 1.5 [1.1-2.2], p = 0.04). Patients who developed infectious complications had a more prolonged accumulated annual hospital stay (p = 0.004) than those without infectious complications. CONCLUSIONS: Infectious complications are very common, prolong hospital stay, and are the first cause of mortality during the first year after transplantation. Bacteria are the most common etiology and pneumonia is the most common infection.