A carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship programme implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in a setting of high endemicity for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria
Our latest research was just published in the prestigious Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy), February 15, 2023.
A carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship programme implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic in a setting of high endemicity for multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacteria
by
Nikolaos Spernovasilis, Evangelos I Kritsotakis, Anna Mathioudaki, Alexandra Vouidaski, Christos Spanias, Maria Petrodaskalaki, Petros Ioannou, Georgios Chamilos, Diamantis P Kofteridis
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Abstract
Background: Greece is among the countries characterized by high rates of antimicrobial resistance and high consumption of antibiotics, including carbapenems.
Objectives: To measure the impact of a carbapenem-focused antimicrobial stewardship programme (ASP) on the antibiotic consumption and patient outcomes in a Greek tertiary hospital during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: A quasi-experimental, before-after study, comparing a 12 month pre-intervention period with a 12 month intervention period in which a carbapenem-focused ASP was implemented.
Results: A total of 1268 patients were enrolled. The proportion of admitted patients who received carbapenems decreased from 4.1% (842 of 20 629) to 2.3% (426 of 18 245) (-1.8%; P < 0.001). A decrease of -4.9 DDD/100 patient-days (PD) (95% CI -7.3 to -2.6; P = 0.007) in carbapenem use and an increase in the use of piperacillin/tazobactam [+2.1 DDD/100 PD (95% CI 1.0-3.3; P = 0.010)] were observed. Thirty-day mortality following initiation of carbapenem treatment and all-cause in-hospital mortality remained unaltered after ASP implementation. In contrast, length of hospital stay increased (median 17.0 versus 19.0 days; P < 0.001), while the risk of infection-related readmission within 30 days of hospital discharge decreased (24.6% versus 16.8%; P = 0.007). In the post-implementation period, acceptance of the ASP intervention was associated with lower daily hazard of in-hospital death [cause-specific HR (csHR) 0.49; 95% CI 0.30-0.80], lower odds of 30 day mortality (OR 0.36; 95% CI 0.18-0.70) and higher rate of treatment success (csHR 2.45; 95% CI 1.59-3.77).
Conclusions: Implementing and maintaining a carbapenem-focused ASP is feasible, effective and safe in settings with high rates of antimicrobial resistance, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Figure 1.
Monthly rates of carbapenem (CR) treated patients per 100 hospital admissions, pre- and post-implementation of the antimicrobial stewardship program. Dots: observed rates. Solid line: predicted rates from Poisson regression model adjusted for seasonality and overdispersion. Dashed line: deseasonalized trend. Dotted line: counterfactual scenario assuming the intervention was not implemented. Vertical dashed line: time of the beginning of the intervention.
Figure 2.
Interrupted time series graphs showing level changes in the consumption of carbapenems and selected antibiotics against Gram-negative bacteria following the antimicrobial stewardship program implementation. The dots correspond to quarterly antibiotic consumption rates measured in defined daily doses (DDD) per 100 patient-days. The solid line shows the predicted rates from a segmented linear regression model adjusted for seasonality and autocorrelation. The dashed line shows the deseasonalized trend. The dotted line corresponds to the counterfactual scenario assuming the intervention was not implemented.
