Drug-Related Problems and Recommendations Made during Home Medicines Reviews for Sick Day Medication Management in Australia.

Backgrounds and Objectives: Using certain medications during an intercurrent illness can increase the risk of drug related problems (DRP) occurring such as acute kidney injury (AKI). Medications that increase this risk include sulfonylureas, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, metformin, angiotensin receptor blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories drugs, and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SADMANS). Sick day medication guidance (SDMG) recommends withholding SADMANS medications during an intercurrent illness where adequate fluid intake cannot be maintained. But uptake of these recommendations is poor, and it is not known whether Australian pharmacists currently provide these recommendations during home medicine reviews (HMR) as per SDMG. We aimed to gain an understanding of the characteristics of DRP identified by pharmacists during HMR, especially those relating to SADMANS medications. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective audit of 201 randomly selected HMR reports, conducted by accredited pharmacists from 2020 to 2022, that were analysed in 2023. All DRP and recommendations were categorised using a modified DOCUMENT system. Results: Overall, over 98% of participants experienced a DRP and a total of 710 DRP were found, where participants experienced an average of 4.0 ± 2.0 DRP each. Non-SADMANS medications accounted for 83.1% of all DRPs, with nervous system medications contributing the most. Common problems seen in non-SADMANS medications were related to toxicity, over/underdosing and undertreating. Diuretics contributed most to DRP in SADMANS medications. Problems with SADMANS were mainly related to toxicity and contraindications. No pharmacists provided SDMG despite 71.1% of participants using at least one SADMANS medication. Conclusions: We conclude that DRP remain prevalent in community pharmacy settings. Sick day recommendations were not provided in the HMRs included in our study, possibly due to lack of pharmacist knowledge and awareness. To ensure best practice, more research should be conducted to determine pharmacists' knowledge of and barriers to provision of sick day recommendations.

Drug-Related Problems and Sick Day Management Considerations for Medications that Contribute to the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury.

BACKGROUND: Medication use during acute illness increases the risk of experiencing drug related problems (DRPs), including acute kidney injuries. It is recommended that potentially nephrotoxic medications are withheld during acute illness, including sulfonylureas, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, diuretics, metformin, angiotensin receptor blockers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors (SADMANS). It is unknown if Australian pharmacists currently provide sick day medication management advice regarding SADMANS medications. Hence, we aimed to identify current DRPs and the recommendations made during residential medication management reviews (RMMRs), especially with SADMANS medications. METHODS: A retrospective review of 408 RMMRs was conducted. DRPs and pharmacist recommendations were classified according to a modified DOCUMENT system. General practitioners' (GP) recommendations were also categorised. RESULTS: Over 97% of residents experienced at least one DRP. Common problems for non-SADMANS medications were "toxicity or adverse drug reaction", "drug selection" and "over/underdosing" and those for SADMANS medications included "toxicity or adverse drug reaction", "monitoring" and "drug selection". GPs agreed with pharmacist recommendations approximately 40% of the time. No pharmacists provided sick day medication management advice for SADMANS medications. CONCLUSION: DRPs remain highly prevalent in aged care facilities. Medication reviews effectively identify and resolve DRPs approximately 40% of the time, but do not currently minimise the risk associated with using SADMANS medications during sick days, which is a potential area of improvement.

Impact of a pharmacy-led screening and intervention in people at risk of or living with chronic kidney disease in a primary care setting: a cluster randomised trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognised as a growing global public health problem. Early detection and management can significantly reduce the loss of kidney function. The proposed trial aims to evaluate the impact of a community pharmacy-led intervention combining CKD screening and medication review on CKD detection and quality use of medicines (QUM) for patients with CKD. We hypothesise that the proposed intervention will enhance detection of newly diagnosed CKD cases and reduce potentially inappropriate medications use by people at risk of or living with CKD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a multicentre, pragmatic, two-level cluster randomised controlled trial which will be conducted across different regions in Australia. Clusters of community pharmacies from geographical groups of co-located postcodes will be randomised. The project will be conducted in 122 community pharmacies distributed across metropolitan and rural areas. The trial consists of two arms: (1) Control Group: a risk assessment using the QKidney CKD risk assessment tool, and (2) Intervention Group: a risk assessment using the QKidney CKD plus Point-of-Care Testing for kidney function markers (serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate), followed by a QUM service. The primary outcomes of the study are the proportion of patients newly diagnosed with CKD at the end of the study period (12 months); and rates of changes in the number of medications considered problematic in kidney disease (number of medications prescribed at inappropriate doses based on kidney function and/or number of nephrotoxic medications) over the same period. Secondary outcomes include proportion of people on potentially inappropriate medications, types of recommendations provided by the pharmacist (and acceptance rate by general practitioners), proportion of people who were screened, referred, and took up the referral to visit their general practitioners, and economic and other patient-centred outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney (2022/044) and the findings of the study will be presented at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed journal(s). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000329763).

General practitioners' attitudes towards and frequency of collaboration with pharmacists in China: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Building interprofessional working relationships between general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists is essential to ensure high-quality patient care. However, there is limited Chinese literature on GP-pharmacist collaboration, and few studies have explored GPs' experiences with pharmacist integration into general practices. This study aimed to investigate GPs' attitudes towards and frequency of collaboration with pharmacists in China. METHODS: This cross-sectional study used an online self-administered questionnaire integrating two scales, ATCI-GP and FICI-GP, which had been translated and validated to investigate 3,248 GPs from February 15 to March 15, 2023 across Zhejiang Province, China. Descriptive analyses were used, and the factors associated with GPs' frequency of collaboration with pharmacists were explored using logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 2,487 GPs (76.6%) responded and consented to participate in the survey; 52.3% were male and the mean age was 35.4 years. Most GPs agreed that they shared common goals and objectives with pharmacists when caring for patients (90.0%), and pharmacists were open to working with them on patients' medication management (80.8%). However, half of the GPs did not change or seldom changed the patient's medication on the pharmacist's advice (51.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that GPs who were older and had more years of practice were more likely to agree that pharmacists were willing to collaborate, had common goals for treatment and that they would change the patient's medication on the advice of the pharmacist. GPs who had regular communication protocols (adjusted odds ratio1 [aOR1] = 1.88, 95% CI 1.45-2.45; aOR2 = 3.33, 95% CI 2.76-4.02), participated in joint continuing education (aOR1 = 1.87, 95% CI 1.44-2.43; aOR2 = 2.27, 95% CI 1.91-2.70), provided recommendations for medication review (aOR1 = 3.01, 95% CI 2.07-4.38; aOR2 = 3.50, 95% CI 2.51-4.86), and communicated with pharmacists during resident training (aOR1 = 2.15, 95% CI 1.78-2.60; aOR2 = 1.38, 95% CI 1.18-1.62) were associated with a more positive attitude towards and higher frequency of cooperation. CONCLUSIONS: GPs in China displayed a positive attitude towards cooperating with pharmacists, but they did not demonstrate a similar level of practice. As environmental determinants impact interdisciplinary collaboration, healthcare managers and policy-makers need to implement measures that foster a supportive environment conducive to interdisciplinary collaboration.

Culture-directed antibiotics in peritoneal dialysis solutions: a systematic review focused on stability and compatibility.

BACKGROUND: This systematic review summarises the stability of less commonly prescribed antibiotics in different peritoneal dialysis solutions that could be used for culture-directed therapy of peritonitis, which would be especially useful in regions with a high prevalence of multidrug antibiotic-resistant strains. METHODS: A literature search of Medline, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar for articles published from inception to 25 January, 2023 was conducted. Only antibiotic stability studies conducted in vitro and not recently reviewed by So et al. were included. The main outcomes were chemical, physical, antimicrobial and microbial stability. This protocol was registered in PROSPERO (registration number CRD42023393366). RESULTS: We screened 1254 abstracts, and 28 articles were included in the study. In addition to those discussed in a recent systematic review (So et al., Clin Kidney J 15(6):1071-1078, 2022), we identified 18 antimicrobial agents. Of these, 9 have intraperitoneal dosing recommendations in the recent International Society for Peritoneal Dialysis (ISPD) peritonitis guidelines, and 7 of the 9 had stability data applicable to clinical practice. They were cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, daptomycin, ofloxacin, and teicoplanin in glucose-based solutions, tobramycin in Extraneal solution only and fosfomycin in Extraneal, Nutrineal, Physioneal 1.36% and 2.27% glucose solutions. CONCLUSIONS: Physicochemical stability has not been demonstrated for all antibiotics with intraperitoneal dosing recommendations in the ISPD peritonitis guidelines. Further studies are required to determine the stability of antibiotics, especially in icodextrin-based and low-glucose degradation products, pH-neutral solutions.

Hospitalisation Due to Community-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury and the Role of Medications: A Retrospective Audit.

The aim of this study is to assess the use of high-risk medications in patients with community-acquired acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) and the differences in the characteristics and outcomes of CA-AKI based on the use of these medications. This is a retrospective audit of adults (≥35 years) with CA-AKI admitted to a large tertiary care hospital over a two-year period. We investigated the prevalence of SADMANS (sulfonylureas; angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors; diuretics; metformin; angiotensin receptor blockers; nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs; and sodium glucose co-transporter 2 inhibitors) medications use in people with CA-AKI prior to hospitalisation. Outcomes including CA-AKI severity, kidney function recovery and in-hospital mortality were examined and stratified by use of SADMANS medications. The study included 329 patients, with a mean (SD) age of 75 (12) years and a 52% proportion of females, who were hospitalised with CA-AKI. Most patients (77.5%) were taking at least one regular SADMANS medication upon admission. Overall, 40% of patients (n = 132) and 41% of those on SADMANS (n = 104) had hypovolaemia or associated symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhoea during admission. Over two-thirds (68.1%) had mild AKI on admission and patients who were taking SADMANS medications were more likely to have mild AKI. Patients on SADMANS had more comorbidities and a higher medication burden, but there were no differences in AKI severity on admission or outcomes such as length of hospitalisation, ICU admission, need for dialysis, recovery rates and mortality between the two groups. However, the high prevalence of SADMANS medications use among patients with CA-AKI indicates a potential for preventability of CA-AKI-led hospitalisations. Future studies are needed to gain better insights into the role of withholding this group of medications, especially during an acute illness.

Clinical characteristics and outcomes of community acquired-acute kidney injury.

PURPOSE: Published works have reported the impact of a nephrologist intervention on outcomes for patients with hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (HA-AKI), however little is known about the clinical characteristics of patients with community-acquired acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) and the impact of nephrology interventions on outcomes in these patients. METHODS: A retrospective study on all adult patients admitted to a large tertiary care hospital in 2019 who were identified to have CA-AKI were followed from hospital admission to discharge. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of these patients were analysed by receipt of nephrology consultation. Statistical analysis included descriptive, simple Chi-squared/Fischer Exact test, independent samples t-test/Mann-Whitney U test and logistic regression. RESULTS: 182 patients fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. Mean age was 75 ± 14 years, 41% were female, 64% had stage 1 AKI on admission, 35% received nephrology input and 52% had achieved recovery of kidney function by discharge. Higher admission and discharge serum creatinine (SCr) (290.5 vs 159 and 173 vs 109 µmol/L respectively, p = < 0.001), and younger age (68 vs 79, p = < 0.001) were associated with nephrology consultations, whilst length of hospitalisation, mortality and rehospitalisation rates were not significantly different between the two groups. At least 65% were recorded to be on at least one nephrotoxic medication. CONCLUSION: Our findings provide a snapshot of current practice where close to two-thirds of hospitalised patients with CA-AKI had a mild form of AKI that was associated with good clinical outcomes. While higher SCr on admission and younger age were predictors of receiving a nephrology consultation, nephrology consultations did not have any impact on outcomes.

Characteristics and outcomes of hospital-acquired and community-acquired peritonitis in patients on peritoneal dialysis: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Peritonitis remains a significant complication of peritoneal dialysis. However, there is limited information on the clinical characteristics and outcomes of hospital-acquired peritonitis compared to community-acquired peritonitis in patients undergoing peritoneal dialysis. Furthermore, the microbiology and outcomes of community-acquired peritonitis may vary from hospital-acquired peritonitis. Therefore, the aim was to gather and analyse data to address this gap. METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of all adult patients on peritoneal dialysis within the peritoneal dialysis units in four university teaching hospitals in Sydney, Australia, who developed peritonitis between January 2010 and November 2020. We compared the clinical characteristics, microbiology and outcomes of community-acquired peritonitis and hospital-acquired peritonitis. Community acquired peritonitis was defined as the development of peritonitis in the outpatient setting. Hospital-acquired peritonitis was defined as: (1) developed peritonitis anytime during hospitalisation for any medical condition other than peritonitis, (2) diagnosed with peritonitis within 7 days of hospital discharge and developed symptoms of peritonitis within 3 days of the hospital discharge. RESULTS: Overall, 904 episodes of peritoneal dialysis-associated peritonitis were identified in 472 patients, of which 84 (9.3%) episodes were hospital-acquired. Patients with hospital-acquired peritonitis had lower mean serum albumin levels compared to those with community-acquired peritonitis(22.95 g/L vs. 25.76 g/L, p = 0.002). At the time of diagnosis, lower median peritoneal effluent leucocyte and polymorph counts were observed with hospital-acquired peritonitis compared to community-acquired peritonitis (1236.00/mm3 vs. 3183.50/mm3, p < 0.01 and 1037.00/mm3 vs. 2800.00/mm3, p < 0.01, respectively). Higher proportions of peritonitis due to Pseudomonas spp. (9.5% vs. 3.7%, p = 0.020) and vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (2.4% vs. 0.0%, p = 0.009), lower rates of complete cure (39.3% vs. 61.7%, p < 0.001), higher rates of refractory peritonitis (39.3% vs. 16.4%, p < 0.001) and higher all-cause mortality within 30 days of peritonitis diagnosis (28.6% vs. 3.3%, p < 0.001) were observed in the hospital-acquired peritonitis group compared to the community-acquired peritonitis group, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Despite having lower peritoneal dialysis effluent leucocyte counts at the time of diagnosis, patients with hospital-acquired peritonitis had poorer outcomes, including lower rates of complete cure, higher rates of refractory peritonitis and higher rates of all-cause mortality within 30 days of diagnosis, compared to those with community-acquired peritonitis.

Treatment and outcomes of peritonitis due to Rothia species in patients on peritoneal dialysis: A systematic review and multicentre registry analysis.

Peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis remains a severe complication of PD. Although peritonitis due to Rothia spp. is rare, the treatment recommendations and outcomes are uncertain. Our study aims to review (1) published literature on peritonitis caused by Rothia spp. and (2) reported cases of peritonitis due to Rothia spp. in patients on PD in Australia and New Zealand. A literature search of PubMed, Scopus, Embase and Google Scholar for articles published between January 1949 and February 2022 was conducted. To be eligible, articles had to describe antibiotic therapy and treatment outcomes in all PD patients for peritonitis caused by Rothia or Stomatococcus spp. Data from the Australia and New Zealand Dialysis and Transplant (ANZDATA) registry of PD patients who developed peritonitis due to Rothia spp. between July 2011 and May 2020 were also reviewed. A total of 12 articles and 28 episodes were identified from the literature search and ANZDATA registry analysis, respectively. Over 60% of the peritonitis cases due to Rothia spp. were from the Rothia mucilaginosa species (8/12 and 17/28, respectively), while Rothia dentocariosa was the second most commonly identified species in both the literature search and the ANZDATA registry analysis (4/12 and 5/28, respectively). A majority 8 (66.7%) of the articles in the literature search employed a combination antibiotic regimen, while the remaining 4 (33.3%) used a single antibiotic regimen. In contrast, most of the episodes, 22 (78.6%) described in the ANZDATA registry analysis, employed a single antibiotic regimen, and only 6 (21.4%) episodes were treated with a combination antibiotic regimen. The duration of antibiotic therapy ranged from 2 to 3 weeks in the literature search, and 1 to 3 weeks in the ANZDATA registry. While no deaths within 30 days of developing peritonitis were reported, catheter removal was reported in three (25%) and two (7.1%) episodes in both the literature search and the ANZDATA registry analysis, respectively, of which the majority occurred in patients treated for ≤2 weeks. PD-associated peritonitis due to Rothia spp. is uncommon and associated with relatively good outcomes. Antibiotic treatment for 3 weeks is associated with better outcomes.

Sick day management in people with chronic kidney disease: a scoping review.

BACKGROUND: Use of certain medications during an acute illness may put patients at an increased risk of acute kidney injury (AKI). Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at higher risk of developing superimposed AKI. The aim of this scoping review is to collate and characterise existing evidence on sick day management considerations and practices during acute illness in people with CKD. METHODS: We searched Embase, CINAHL, MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstract, Scopus, Google Scholar and grey literature sources. We followed the methodological framework for scoping reviews, while information was extracted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews. Findings are presented thematically. RESULTS: Ten studies and seven guidelines met the inclusion criteria. Studies were targeted at patients, general practitioners, pharmacists, and nurses. The major themes identified included development and feasibility testing of a sick day management protocol, current practice of temporary medication discontinuation, and outcomes. Most guidelines provided recommendations for sick day management largely based on expert consensus. A digital intervention was deemed highly acceptable and easy to use, whereas patient handouts were more effective when provided along with dialogue with a health professional. While there is little evidence on the impact of sick day protocols on outcomes, a single randomised trial reported no significant association between sick day protocols and change in kidney function, AKI incidents or risk of hospitalisation. CONCLUSION: The nascent literature on sick day management in patients with CKD revealed the limited available evidence to provide guidance on implementation and on outcomes. Future research needs to clarify sick day recommendations and assess their impact on clinical outcomes including prevention of superimposed AKI or hospitalisations, as well as to address barriers to implementation.

A new paradigm in adverse drug reaction reporting: consolidating the evidence for an intervention to improve reporting.

INTRODUCTION: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) under-reporting is highly prevalent internationally and interventions created to address this problem have only been temporarily successful. This review aims to investigate how to leverage digital applications and automation across the healthcare industry to improve the quantity and quality of ADR reporting. AREAS COVERED: This review investigated the significance of ADR under-reporting, the barriers of reporting ADRs, and the magnitude of success of various interventions to improve ADR reporting by searching the EMBASE and MEDLINE databases to include studies published between January 2000 and February 2022. This data was integrated with a view to describe a future ADR reporting framework. EXPERT OPINION: Digital transformation has presented a significant opportunity with vast quantities of patient health data becoming available in electronic formats. The application of artificial intelligence to detect ADRs and then using automation to report these directly to regulatory agencies without human input would significantly enhance the quantity and quality of ADR reporting. Emphasis should be placed on ADRs identified for newly approved or black triangle medicines. Future studies are needed to measure the success of this ADR reporting framework in reducing the time taken to identify new safety issues and improving patient outcomes.

Hospital-Acquired Acute Kidney Injury in Noncritical Care Setting: Clinical Characteristics and Outcomes.

Background: There is limited Australian data on the incidence and outcomes of hospital-acquired acute kidney injury (HA-AKI) in noncritically ill patients. Aims: This study aimed to characterise HA-AKI and assess the impact of nephrology consultations on outcomes. Methods: A retrospective cohort of all noncritically ill patients with HA-AKI admitted to a large tertiary hospital in 2018 were followed up from hospital admission to discharge. HA-AKI was defined using the Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) criteria. The primary outcome of this study was the clinical characteristics of patients who developed HA-AKI and the difference in these characteristics by nephrology consultation. Results: A total of 222 noncritically ill patients were included in the study. The mean age of included patients was 74.8 ± 15.8 years and 57.2% were females. While most patients (92%)were characterised to have KDIGO stage 1, 14% received a nephrology consultation, and 80% had complete or partial recovery of kidney function at discharge. Lower recovery rates (65% versus 83%, P = 0.022), longer hospitalisations (10 versus 5 days, P = 0.001), and higher serum creatinine values on discharge (152 versus 101 µmol/L, P < 0.001) were associated with receipt of nephrology consultation. There was no difference in mortality rates (13% versus 11%, P = 0.754) between those with and without nephrology consultation. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that signficant proportion of noncritically ill patients experience mild form of AKI and have good recovery of kidney function during hospitalisation. Although severity of AKI and length of hospitalisation were associated with nephrology interventions, large scale study is required to understand the impact of such interventions on clinical outcomes, such as hospital readmission and mortality.

Why hospital-based healthcare professionals do not report adverse drug reactions: a mixed methods study using the Theoretical Domains Framework.

PURPOSE: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) underreporting is highly prevalent across the world. This study aimed to identify factors associated with ADR reporting and map these to a behavioural change framework to help inform future interventions designed to improve ADR underreporting. METHODS: A mixed methods survey was distributed to healthcare professionals at a tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Quantitative data was analysed using logistic regression to identify factors that predict ADR reporting. Qualitative data was evaluated using content analysis. These were then integrated and mapped to the 14 domains within the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to identify target areas relevant for improving ADR reporting. RESULTS: One hundred thirty-three healthcare professionals completed the survey. Knowing how to report ADRs (OR 4.56, 95%CI 1.95-10.7), having been trained on ADR reporting (OR 2.72, 95%CI 1.29-5.77), and encountering ADRs as part of clinical practice (OR 10.3, 95%CI 3.59-29.4) were significant predictors of reporting an ADR. Content analysis identified three categories: modifying the ADR reporting process, enabling clinicians to report ADRs, and creating a positive ADR reporting culture. After data integration, the three target TDF domains were knowledge, environmental context/resources, and beliefs about consequences. CONCLUSION: Future interventions designed to improve ADR reporting should address these target domains to instigate behaviour change in healthcare professionals' reporting of ADRs.

Practice variations in antibiotic administration for the management of peritonitis in patients on automated peritoneal dialysis in Australia and New Zealand.

In the absence of guidelines on the management of peritoneal dialysis (PD)-associated peritonitis in patients on automated peritoneal dialysis (APD), variations in clinical practice potentially exist between PD units that could affect clinical outcomes. This study aimed to document the current practices of treating PD-associated peritonitis in patients on APD across Australia and New Zealand and the reasons for practice variations using a cross-sectional online survey. Of the 62 PD units, 34 medical leads (55%) responded to the survey. When treating APD-associated peritonitis, 21 units (62%) continued patients on APD and administered intraperitoneal (IP) antibiotics in manual daytime exchanges; of these, 17 (81%) considered allowing at least 6 h dwell time for adequate absorption of the IP antibiotics as an important reason for adding manual daytime exchange. Nine units (26%) temporarily switched patients from APD to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD); of these, five (55%) reported a lack of pharmacokinetic (PK) data for IP antibiotics in APD, four (44%) reported a shortage of APD-trained nursing staff to perform APD exchanges during hospitalisation and three (33%) reported inadequate time for absorption of IP antibiotics on APD as important reasons for their practice. Four units (12%) continued patients on APD and administered IP antibiotics during APD exchanges; of these, three (75%) believed that PK data available in CAPD could be extrapolated to APD. This study demonstrates wide variations in the management of APD-associated peritonitis in Australia and New Zealand; it points towards the lack of PK on antibiotics used to treat peritonitis as an important reason underpinning practice variations.

Prevalence, characteristics, and reporting of adverse drug reactions in an Australian hospital: a retrospective review of hospital admissions due to adverse drug reactions.

Background: Adverse drug reaction (ADR) related hospitalizations is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in Australia. This study investigated the prevalence, characteristics, and reporting of ADR related hospitalizations at a tertiary hospital in Australia.Research design and methods: A retrospective review of all ADR related hospitalizations from October to December 2019 was conducted using eMedical Records. They were classified by medicine class, ADR type, preventability, and the strength of causal relationship. ADRs were searched within the regulator's safety database to verify whether it was reported.Results: A total of 496 ADR related hospitalizations were identified from 5521 records (9.0%). Nervous system agents (32.3%) were responsible for most ADR hospitalizations and were more likely to cause psychiatric disorders (RR 9.71, 95%CI 4.98-18.87). They were also more likely to cause preventable ADRs (HR 1.62, 95%CI 1.46-1.81). Patient age (OR 1.04, 95%CI 1.03-1.05) and the number of medicines (OR 1.13, 95%CI 1.11-1.15) were associated with ADR related hospitalizations. Under-reporting to the national regulator was over 99%.Conclusions: ADR under-reporting is highly prevalent in Australian hospitals. Further research into identifying specific barriers toward reporting ADRs are needed to inform strategies with a focus on healthcare professionals involved in prescribing, dispensing, and administrating nervous system agents.

Pharmacokinetics of culture-directed antibiotics for the treatment of peritonitis in automated peritoneal dialysis: A systematic narrative review.

The objectives of this study were to provide a summary of the pharmacokinetic data of some intraperitoneal (IP) antibiotics that could be used for both empirical and culture-directed therapy, as per the ISPD recommendations, and examine factors to consider when using IP antibiotics for the management of automated peritoneal dialysis (APD)-associated peritonitis. A literature search of PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, MEDLINE and Google Scholar for articles published between 1998 and 2020 was conducted. To be eligible, articles had to describe the use of antibiotics via the IP route in adult patients ≥18 years old on APD in the context of pharmacokinetic studies or case reports/series. Articles describing the use of IP antibiotics that had been recently reviewed (cefazolin, vancomycin, gentamicin and ceftazidime) or administered for non-APD-associated peritonitis were excluded. A total of 1119 articles were identified, of which 983 abstracts were screened. Seventy-three full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Eight records were included in the final study. Three reports had pharmacokinetic data in patients on APD without peritonitis. Each of cefepime 15 mg/kg IP, meropenem 0.5 g IP and fosfomycin 4 g IP given in single doses achieved drug plasma concentrations above the minimum inhibitory concentration for treating the susceptible organisms. The remaining five records were case series or reports in patients on APD with peritonitis. While pharmacokinetic data support intermittent cefepime 15 mg/kg IP daily, only meropenem 0.5 g IP and fosfomycin 4 g IP are likely to be effective if given in APD exchanges with dwell times of 15 h. Higher doses may be required in APD with shorter dwell times. Information on therapeutic efficacy was derived from case reports/series in individual patients and without therapeutic drug monitoring. Until more pharmacokinetic data are available on these antibiotics, it would be prudent to shift patients who develop peritonitis on APD to continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis, where pharmacokinetic information is more readily available.

Effect of the black triangle scheme and its online educational campaign on the quantity and quality of adverse drug event reporting in Australia: a time series analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The black triangle scheme was introduced to Australia in January 2018 to improve the significant under-reporting of adverse drug events (ADEs). The authors investigated the impact of the black triangle scheme on the quantity and quality of ADE reports submitted to the Therapeutic Goods Administration. METHODS: An interrupted time series analysis with segmented regression was conducted to compare the quantity of ADE reports pre and post the black triangle intervention for the period between January 2017 and December 2018. The quality of reports was measured by the ability to apply the World Health Organization - Uppsala Monitoring Center algorithm to evaluate a causal relationship between the medicine and ADE. RESULTS: A total of 384 ADE reports were extracted for the 33 medicines approved in 2017 and 135 ADE reports for the 36 black triangle medicines. Time series analysis showed that there was a monthly increase of 0.41 reports per medicine (95%CI, 0.02-0.80, p = 0.039) post the black triangle intervention. There was a higher proportion for high quality reports for black triangle medicines versus 2017 medicines (22.2% vs 7.6%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The black triangle scheme was marginally successful in improving ADE reporting and additional strategies are required to enhance the overall pharmacovigilance system in Australia.

Parent perspectives and psychosocial needs 2 years following child critical injury: A qualitative inquiry.

INTRODUCTION: To provide effective care and promote wellbeing and positive outcomes for parents and families following paediatric critical injury there is a need to understand parent experiences and psychosocial support needs. This study explores parent experiences two years following their child's critical injury. METHODS: This multi-centre study used an interpretive qualitative design. Parent participants were recruited from four paediatric hospitals in Australia. Semi-structured interviews were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Qualitative data were thematically analysed and managed using NVivo 11. RESULTS: Twenty-two parents participated. Three themes were identified through analysis: Recovering from child injury; Managing the emotional impact of child injury; Being resilient and finding ways to adapt. CONCLUSIONS: A long-term dedicated trauma family support role is required to ensure continuity of care, integration of support and early targeted intervention to prevent long-term adverse outcomes for critically injured children and their families. Early and ongoing psychosocial intervention would help strengthen parental adaptation and address families' psychosocial support needs following child injury.

Process of translation and cross-cultural adaptation of two Australian instruments to evaluate the physician-pharmacist collaboration in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Building interprofessional working relationships between physicians and pharmacists is essential to ensure high-quality patient care. To assess which factors influence the performance and success of their collaboration, validated instruments should be used, such as the Australian "Attitudes Toward Collaboration Instrument (ATCI)" and the "Frequency of Interprofessional Collaboration Instrument (FICI)". Both instruments were already translated in a previous German study, but not pretested for comprehensibility or cultural appropriateness to ensure that the target group is able to adequately answer the translated items. OBJECTIVES: To translate and particularly cross-culturally adapt two Australian instruments measuring physicians' and pharmacists' attitudes towards interprofessional collaboration and the frequency of their interactions for use in Germany. METHODS: The ATCI and FICI were translated following internationally recognised guidelines. Two-step cognitive interviewing was performed with physicians and pharmacists working in ambulatory care in Germany. The "Standards for Reporting Qualitative Research" were used to report this study. RESULTS: Overall, 2 forward and 2 back translations, and 38 cognitive interviews, i.e. cognitive probing (N = 10) and behaviour observation (N = 28), with 18 physicians and 20 pharmacists were performed. Experts discussed all potential changes. The ATCI and FICI were translated introducing 15 minor (e.g. paraphrasing, item order) and 6 major (e.g. 2 more items in FICI, additional response options) adaptations. The ATCI-P/GP-German and FICI-P/GP-German were found to be easy to answer and clearly-phrased. CONCLUSION: This study shows the importance of using recognised methods to translate and adapt questionnaires, consisting of at least four steps: forward translation, back translation, cognitive interviewing and finalisation (each reviewed by an expert panel making their decisions by consensus). A profoundly pretested German-speaking instrument is now available to evaluate and describe interprofessional collaboration between physicians and pharmacists. However, collecting further sociodemographic and contextual information seems necessary for enhanced interpretation of future results.

The implementation and usability of HIRAID, a structured approach to emergency nursing assessment.

BACKGROUND: Emergency nurses are responsible for the initial assessment, management and safety of critically ill patients. HIRAID, an evidence-informed emergency nursing assessment framework, is known to improve emergency nursing patient-assessment in the simulated environment however has not been evaluated in the clinical setting. METHODS: A pre-post design was used to assess the usability and impact of HIRAID on emergency nurses self-efficacy in the emergency department (ED). Nursing and medical staff from three Australian EDs were surveyed. Descriptive and optimal pooled sample t-tests statistics were conducted. RESULTS: One hundred and two emergency nurses completed the pre-intervention self-efficacy survey and 63 completed the post-intervention self-efficacy and satisfaction survey. Forty-two and 17 medical officers completed the pre- and post-intervention satisfaction surveys, respectively. Nursing staff self-efficacy levels were unchanged pre- and post-HIRAID implementation (Mean (SD): 8.8 (0.21) vs. 8.7 (0.20)) as was medical staff satisfaction (Mean (SD):7.5 (1.43) vs. 7.8 (1.07)), although there was a trend towards improved communication. CONCLUSION: The HIRAID structured approach to patient assessment is acceptable, feasible, practical and appropriate for use in the clinical environment. Further research will demonstrate the direct effects of HIRAID on clinical performance.