Asymptomatic But Altered? When Urinalysis Holds the Key.

Altered mental status (AMS) is a common symptom in geriatric patients, especially in the long-term care setting. Traditionally, AMS has been associated with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in older people. However, data correlating UTIs with AMS are lacking. For this reason, asymptomatic bacteriuria (ASB) guidelines do not recommend using non-specific symptoms, such as AMS, to indicate a potential diagnosis of UTI. It is important to distinguish between colonization and infection, which can be done through proper interpretation of a urine analysis in the presence of UTI-specific symptomatology. In the absence of UTIspecific symptoms, alternative diagnoses for AMS should be explored. Consultant pharmacists are a key stakeholder and partner in ensuring appropriate antimicrobial prescribing practices, including identification of ASB in older patients.

The Effect of a Clinical Pathway on Reducing the Rate of Healthcare-Onset Clostridioides difficile.

INTRODUCTION: Stool assays used to diagnose Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) do not differentiate acute CDI from asymptomatic carriers, which contributes to a falsely elevated rate of healthcare-facility onset (HO) CDI when CD stool assays are inappropriately ordered. The aim of this study was to investigate the rate of HO-CDI before and after implementing a mandatory clinical pathway prior to ordering stool tests when suspecting CDI. METHODS: A single-center retrospective observational study was conducted that spanned 12 months. All patients who developed diarrhea 48 hours after being admitted and whose primary physician requested a CD stool assay were included in the study. The intervention consisted of a mandatory sequence of questions that allowed providers to order a CD stool assay only if clinically indicated. RESULTS: Differences in HO-CDI rates pre- and post-intervention were analyzed. The HO-CDI rate during the pre-intervention and post-intervention periods were 24.1 and 0.0, respectively (p = 0.023). CONCLUSION: A marked reduction of the rate of HO-CDI occurred after implementing a mandatory clinical pathway. Setting up a mandatory pre-testing questionnaire could decrease the misclassification of asymptomatic carriers as HO-CDI and the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics in situations where it is not indicated.