Implementation of a Delayed Prescribing Model to Reduce Antibiotic Prescribing for Suspected Upper Respiratory Tract Infections in a Hospital Outpatient Department, Ghana.

Background: High levels of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Ghana require the exploration of new approaches to optimise antimicrobial prescribing. This study aims to establish the feasibility of implementation of different delayed/back-up prescribing models on antimicrobial prescribing for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Methods: This study was part of a quality improvement project at LEKMA Hospital, Ghana, (Dec 2019-Feb 2020). Patients meeting inclusion criteria were assigned to one of four groups (Group 0: No prescription given; Group 1; Patient received post-dated antibiotic prescription; Group 2: Offer of a rapid reassessment of patient by a nurse practitioner after 3 days; and Group 3: Post-dated prescription forwarded to hospital pharmacy). Patients were contacted 10 days afterwards to ascertain wellbeing and actions taken, and patients were asked rate the service on a Likert scale. Post-study informal discussions were conducted with hospital staff. Results: In total, 142 patients met inclusion criteria. Groups 0, 1, 2 and 3 had 61, 16, 44 and 21 patients, respectively. Common diagnosis was sore throat (73%). Only one patient took antibiotics after 3 days. Nearly all (141/142) patients were successfully contacted on day 10, and of these, 102 (72%) rated their experiences as good or very good. Informal discussions with staff revealed improved knowledge of AMR. Conclusions: Delayed/back-up prescribing can reduce antibiotic consumption amongst outpatient department patients with suspected URTIs. Delayed/back-up prescribing can be implemented safely in low and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Processes and characteristics of hydrogeochemical variations between unconfined and confined aquifer systems: a case study of the Nakdong River Basin in Busan City, Korea.

This study is to assess the hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater at the deltaic region of the Nakdong River Basin in the Busan Metropolitan City of Korea. The study area is covered by the Quaternary sedimentary deposits and the Cretaceous granites associated with unconformity. The thick sedimentary deposits consists of two aquifers, i.e., unconfined and confined aquifers on the basis of clay deposit. Groundwater samples were collected from seven boreholes: two from unconfined aquifer and five from confined aquifer systems during the wet season of 2017 year. ORP and DO indicates that the groundwater of the unconfined aquifer exists in the oxidization condition and that of the confined aquifer pertains in the reduction condition. Piper's trilinear diagram shows CaSO4 type for groundwater of the unconfined aquifer, and NaCl type for that of the confined aquifer. Ionic concentrations of groundwater increase in the confined aquifer because of direct and reverse ion exchange processes. Carbonate weathering and evaporation are other mechanisms in the water-rock interaction. Saturation indices of dolomite and calcite are observed as oversaturated, while halite reveals undersaturation. Hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) exhibits that cluster 1 and cluster 2 represents the properties of groundwater in unconfined and confined aquifers, respectively. Factor analysis shows that groundwater of the confined aquifer is much influenced by seawater, and includes heavy metals of iron and aluminum. Groundwater samples in unconfined and confined aquifers are located at the rock weathering and evaporation zones in the Gibbs diagram. Inverse geochemical modeling of PHREEQC code suggests that carbonate dissolution and ion exchange of major ions are the prevailing geochemical processes. This comprehensive research provides the distinguished hydrogeochemical characteristics of groundwater in confined and unconfined aquifer systems of the Nakdong River Basin in Busan City, Korea.

Glycemic control in inpatients with diabetes following august changeover of trainee doctors in England.

The first Wednesday of August is the day of changeover of trainee doctors in England. It is widely perceived that inexperience and nonfamiliarity with the new hospital systems and policies in these first few weeks lead to increased medical errors, mismanagement, and mortality. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the August changeover of trainee doctors on inpatient glycemic control in a single English hospital. This is currently unknown in England. Overall, 16,870 patient-day capillary glucose reading measures in 2730 inpatients with diabetes were analyzed for 4 weeks before and after the changeover period for the years 2012, 2013, and 2014. Only inpatients hospitalized for longer than 1 day were included. Contrary to expectations, inpatient glycemic control did not worsen in the first 4 weeks after changeover compared to the preceding 4 weeks before changeover in the 3-year period. This may be due to forethought and planning by the deanery foundation school and the inpatient diabetes team in this hospital.

The direct cost of intravenous insulin infusions to the NHS in England and Wales.

The cost of intravenous insulin infusion to the NHS is unknown. The aim of this study was to estimate the direct cost of insulin infusions to the NHS in England and Wales in the first 24-hour period of infusion. Data from the National Inpatient Diabetes Audit 2013 in the UK were used to estimate the number of insulin infusions in use across England and Wales. Costs were calculated for six models for setting up and maintenance of insulin infusions, depending on the extent of involvement of different healthcare professionals in the UK. In this study, the direct costs of intravenous insulin infusions to the NHS in England and Wales have been estimated to vary from £6.4-8.5 million in the first 24-hour period on infusion. More appropriate use of these infusions could result in substantial cost savings.

Diabetes patient at risk score - a novel system for triaging appropriate referrals of inpatients with diabetes to the diabetes team.

The acceptability, uptake and effectiveness of a new referral tool - the diabetes patient at risk (DPAR) score - were evaluated and the timeliness of review of referred inpatients by the diabetes team was measured. For this, a snapshot survey of ward healthcare professionals (HCPs) and a review of all DPAR referrals to the diabetes team between 1 September 2013 and 31 January 2014 were undertaken. All referrals in November 2013 were audited for timeliness of review. 77% of HCPs agreed/strongly agreed that the tool improved access to the diabetes team. 76% of referrals were from nurses. 80% of who should have been referred were referred; the remaining had already been reviewed by the diabetes team and therefore did not require referral. Only 11% of referrals were inappropriate. All DPAR referrals were reviewed within the stipulated time period in November 2013. Overall, the DPAR system was well accepted, successfully identified appropriate referrals and facilitated referrals in a timely manner to the diabetes team.

Patients with diabetes requiring emergency department care for hypoglycaemia: characteristics and long-term outcomes determined from multiple data sources.

AIM: To triangulate three data sources and report the characteristics and long-term outcomes of patients with diabetes requiring emergency department (ED) care for hypoglycaemia. METHOD: Three data sources were used-ambulance electronic records, hospital episode statistics and patient administration system. Hypoglycaemia (capillary blood glucose <4.0 mmol/L)-related attendances to a single hospital's ED between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 were studied. RESULTS: Using the three sources, there were 165 hypoglycaemia-related attendances in 132 patients with diabetes [type 1-59 episodes in 43 patients, type 2-106 episodes in 89 patients (therapy-54 (51%) insulin, 35 (33%) sulfonylurea, 11 (10%) both, 6 (6%) others)]. At best only 65% of episodes would have been identified were a single data source used. Patients with type 2 vs type 1 diabetes were older (median age 79 vs 61 years, p<0.0001), had more comorbidities (median Charlson comorbidity index (CCI) 4 vs 3, p=0.002) but no difference in HbA1c (median 7.8% vs 8.4%, p=0.065). Compared with insulin-treated type 2 patients with diabetes, sulfonylurea-treated patients (33%) were older (median age 82 vs 76 years, p=0.007), had worse renal function (median estimated glomerular filtration rate 38 vs 56 mL/min/1.73 m(2), p=0.019) and lower HbA1c (median 6.7% vs 8.4%, p<0.0001). At least 17 (10%) hypoglycaemic episodes resulted in additional serious harm. The 30-day, 90-day and 1-year all-cause mortality were 10.6% (14), 16.7% (22) and 28% (37), respectively. Age, CCI and hospitalisation were risk factors for long-term mortality. CONCLUSIONS: Dependence on a single data source would have at best identified only 65% of episodes. One-third of episodes were sulfonylurea related in patients with type 2 diabetes, and one-fourth of all patients with diabetes who required ED care for hypoglycaemia died the following year.

Point-of-care blood glucose testing for diabetes care in hospitalized patients: an evidence-based review.

Glycemic control in hospitalized patients with diabetes requires accurate near-patient glucose monitoring systems. In the past decade, point-of-care blood glucose monitoring devices have become the mainstay of near-patient glucose monitoring in hospitals across the world. In this article, we focus on its history, accuracy, clinical use, and cost-effectiveness. Point-of-care devices have evolved from 1.2 kg instruments with no informatics to handheld lightweight portable devices with advanced connectivity features. Their accuracy however remains a subject of debate, and new standards for their approval have now been issued by both the International Organization for Standardization and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute. While their cost-effectiveness remains to be proved, their clinical value for managing inpatients with diabetes remains unchallenged. This evidence-based review provides an overall view of its use in the hospital setting.

Temporal patterns of hypoglycaemia and burden of sulfonylurea-related hypoglycaemia in UK hospitals: a retrospective multicentre audit of hospitalised patients with diabetes.

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether temporal patterns of hypoglycaemia exist in inpatients with diabetes 'at risk' of hypoglycaemia (those on insulin and/or sulfonylureas), and if so whether patterns differ between hospitals and between these treatments. SETTING: Retrospective multicentre audit of inpatients with diabetes involving 11 acute UK National Health Service (NHS) trusts. PARTICIPANTS: Capillary blood glucose readings of 3.9 mmol/L or less (hypoglycaemia) for all adult (≥18 years) inpatients with diabetes 'at risk' of hypoglycaemia were extracted from the Abbott PrecisionWeb Point-of-Care Data Management System over a 4-week period. Overall, 2521 readings of 3.9 mmol/L or less (hypoglycaemia) occurring in 866 participants between 1 June 2013 and 29 June 2013 were analysed. RESULTS: The majority (65%) occurred between 21:00 and 08:59, a pattern common to all Trusts. This was more frequent in sulfonylurea-treated than insulin-treated participants (75.3% vs 59.3%, p=0.0001). Furthermore, hypoglycaemic readings were more frequent between 5:00 and 7:59 in sulfonylurea-treated than insulin-treated participants (46.7% vs 22.7% of readings for respective treatments, p=0.0001). Sulfonylureas accounted for 31.8% of all hypoglycaemic readings. As a group, sulfonylurea-treated participants were older (median age 78 vs 73 years, p=0.0001) and had lower glycated haemoglobin (median 56 (7.3%) vs 69 mmol/mol (8.5%), p=0.0001). Hypoglycaemic readings per participant were as frequent for sulfonylurea-treated participants as for insulin-treated participants (median=2 for both) as were the proportions in each group with ≥5 hypoglycaemic readings (17.3% vs 17.7%). CONCLUSIONS: In all Trusts, hypoglycaemic readings were more frequent between 21:00 and 08:59 in 'at risk' inpatients with diabetes, with a greater frequency in the early morning period (5:00-7:59) in sulfonylurea-treated inpatients. This may have implications for the continuing use of sulfonylureas in the inpatient setting.

Pasireotide therapy in a rare and unusual case of plurihormonal pituitary macroadenoma.

UNLABELLED: We report the use of pasireotide in a rare and unusual case of pituitary macroadenoma co-secreting GH, prolactin and ACTH. A 62-year-old Caucasian man presented with impotence. Clinically, he appeared acromegalic and subsequent investigations confirmed GH excess and hyperprolactinaemia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of pituitary revealed a large pituitary macroadenoma. He underwent trans-sphenoidal surgery and histology confirmed an adenoma with immunohistochemistry positive for ACTH, GH and prolactin. Acromegaly was not cured following surgery and inadequately controlled despite subsequent octreotide therapy. He underwent further debulking pituitary surgery, following which IGF1 levels improved but still high. This time adenoma cells showed immunohistochemistry positivity for ACTH only, following which subsequent investigations confirmed intermittent hypercortisolaemia compatible with pituitary Cushing's disease. We recommended radiotherapy, but in view of the pluripotential nature of the tumour, we proceeded with a trial of s.c. pasireotide therapy on the basis that it may control both his acromegaly and Cushing's disease. After 3 months of pasireotide therapy, his mean GH and IGF1 levels improved significantly, with improvement in his symptoms but intermittent hypercortisolaemia persists. His glycaemic control deteriorated requiring addition of new anti-diabetic medication. MRI imaging showed loss of contrast uptake within the tumour following pasireotide therapy but no change in size. We conclude that our patient has had a partial response to pasireotide therapy. Long-term follow-up studies are needed to establish its safety and efficacy in patients with acromegaly and/or Cushing's disease. LEARNING POINTS: Plurihormonal pituitary adenomas are rare and unusual.Patients with pituitary adenomas co-secreting ACTH and GH are more likely to present with acromegaly because GH excess can mask hypercortisolaemia.Pasireotide holds potential where conventional somatostatin analogues are not effective in acromegaly due to higher affinity for somatostatin receptor subtypes 1, 2, 3 and 5.Significant deterioration in glycaemic control remains a concern in the use of pasireotide.Currently, long-term safety and efficacy of pasireotide in patients with acromegaly and/or Cushing's disease are not fully clear.

Vasopressin receptor antagonist in the treatment of the syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone in general hospital practice.

Hyponatraemia (serum sodium concentration<135 mmol/L) is the most common electrolyte disorder in hospitalised patients. We analysed the safety and efficacy of tolvaptan in the treatment of hyponatraemia in hospitalised inpatients and report the first consecutive retrospective clinical case series report based on a single centre experience from the United Kingdom. We sought out the case records of all patients treated with tolvaptan for hyponatraemia over a period of 19 months; 15 episodes of treatment with tolvaptan in 14 patients were analysed. There were 8 women and 6 men (age 72 ± 16, (mean ± standard deviation), range 36 to 90 years, mean BMI 24.9 ± 8.67, 13.9 to 46.4 kg/m(2)). Thirteen patients were diagnosed with euvolaemic hyponatraemia. One patient had hypovolaemic hyponatraemia. The median duration of tolvaptan therapy was 3 days (1 to 21 days). A serum sodium level of 130 mmol/L was targeted during therapy and fluid restriction was discontinued. There was a significant change in sodium level from baseline (mean sodium 120.1 ± 4.6, 108-126 mmol/L) to cessation of tolvaptan therapy (mean sodium 131.9 ± 3.6, 125-139 mmol/L, P<0.0001). The maximum rate of change of sodium was observed in the first 24 hours of therapy (mean 6.7 ± 2.8, 1 to 11 mmol/L) with no patient exceeding 12 mmol/L in 24 hours and 18 mmol/L in 48 hours at any point whilst on tolvaptan. No patient developed the osmotic demyelination syndrome. Tolvaptan appears to be safe and effective in the management of hospitalised inpatients with definitive euvolaemic hyponatraemia when close monitoring is observed.