Multipronged Approach to Controlling a Tuberculosis Outbreak Among Persons Experiencing Homelessness.

In May 2009, the Marion County Public Health Department in Indiana declared a tuberculosis (TB) outbreak among persons experiencing homelessness in Marion County, began active case finding to detect additional cases, and formed a TB outbreak response team to plan and coordinate outbreak activities. Outbreak-associated cases had 1 of 2 outbreak genotypes and either reported experiencing homelessness themselves or had an epidemiologic link to a shelter or a person experiencing homelessness. The last of 53 outbreak-associated cases was detected in 2019 after more than 2 years without a case. The Marion County Public Health Department continues to address TB-related issues and implement prevention measures at homeless shelters and among persons experiencing homelessness in 2019. This example, in addition to other published guidance, can be used by jurisdictions to plan and implement their own TB outbreak prevention and response activities among persons experiencing homelessness.

Development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy program.

PURPOSE: The development and implementation of a pharmacist-managed outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) program in a county teaching hospital are described. SUMMARY: A pharmacist-managed OPAT program was developed and implemented at a county teaching hospital to provide consistent evaluation, approval, and monitoring of patients requiring OPAT for the treatment of infection. The developmental and implementation stages of the OPAT program included (1) a needs assessment, (2) the identification of resources necessary for program operation, (3) delineation of general OPAT program operations and activities of individual OPAT clinicians, (4) the development of patient selection criteria, including a plan of care algorithm, and (5) acquisition of administrative support to approve the program. In this program, the OPAT pharmacist plays an integral role in the management and oversight of OPAT patients, working under a collaborative agreement with infectious diseases physicians. The OPAT pharmacist assists with appropriate patient and regimen selection, confirmation of orders on discharge, assuring that laboratory tests for safety surveillance are performed and evaluated, performing routine monitoring for adverse events and line complications, and assuring the removal of the vascular access device upon the completion of OPAT. CONCLUSION: The OPAT program provides structured monitoring, patient follow-up, and led to improvements in patient outcome with minimization of treatment and line-related adverse events.

Renal disease in an antiretroviral-naïve HIV-infected outpatient population in Western Kenya.

BACKGROUND: Several commonly used antiretrovirals (ARVs) require dose adjustments to prevent toxicities in the presence of renal insufficiency. Because no prospective studies of the prevalence or risk factors for kidney disease in stable outpatient human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected indigenous African populations have been published to date, it is not known if already scarce resources should be allocated to detect renal dysfunction, in those without risk factors for kidney disease, prior to initiation of increasingly available antiretrovirals in developing countries. METHODS: A cross-sectional study to determine the prevalence of and risk factors for renal disease in a cohort of medically stable, HIV-infected, antiretroviral-naïve adults, without diabetes or hypertension, presenting to an HIV clinic in western Kenya. RESULTS: Of 373 patients with complete data, renal insufficiency (CrCl <60 ml/min) was identified in 43 (11.5%) [18 (4.8%) had a CrCl <50 ml/min]. Despite high correlation coefficients between the three renal function estimating equations used, when compared to creatinine clearance as calculated by Cockcroft-Gault, lower rates of moderate to severe renal insufficiency were identified by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equations. Proteinuria, defined as a urine dipstick protein of equal to or greater than 1+, was detected in only 23 subjects (6.2%). CONCLUSIONS: Renal insufficiency is not uncommon, even in stable patients without diabetes or hypertension. Conversely, proteinuria was unexpectedly infrequent in this population. Utilizing resources to assess renal function prior to initiation of antiretrovirals in order to identify those likely to benefit from dosage adjustment is justified.