Application of ATC/DDD methodology to evaluate perioperative antimicrobial prophylaxis

Objective To evaluate quality of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis (PAP) and to calculate the cost per procedure in a Turkish university hospital. Setting A 352-bed teaching hospital in Denizli, Turkey. Method An prospective audit was performed between July and October 2010. All clean, clean-contaminated and contaminated elective surgical procedures in ten surgical wards were recorded. Antimicrobial use was calculated per procedure using the ATC-DDD system. The appropriateness of antibiotic use for each procedure was evaluated according to international guidelines on PAP. In addition, the cost per procedure was calculated. Results Overall, in 577 of the 625 (92.3%) of the studied procedures, PAP was used. PAP was indicated in 12.5% of the group where it was not used, and not indicated in 7.1% of the group where it was used. Unnecessarily prolonged antimicrobial prophylaxis was observed in 56.9% of the procedures, mean duration was 2.6?±?2.7?days. The most frequently used antimicrobials were cefazolin (117.9 DDD/100-operation) and sulbactam/ampicillin (102.2 DDD/100-operation). The timing of the starting dose was appropriate in 545 procedures (94.5%). In the group that received PAP, only 80 (13.7%) of the procedures were found to be fully appropriate and correct. The density of antimicrobial use per operation was 2.8 DDD. The mean cost of the use of prophylactic antimicrobials ?18.6 per procedure. Conclusion The density of antimicrobial use in PAP was found to be very high in our hospital. Antibiotic overuse extended into the postoperative period.     

The identification of barriers preventing the successful implementation of a surgical prophylaxis protocol

Aim: The aim of this study was to introduce a protocol for the use of antimicrobials in surgical prophylaxis for the described procedures in Antrim Area Hospital. Method: Historical data of antimicrobial use were obtained from retrospective analysis of patients" charts, for those patients identified as having one of the following clean / contaminated surgical procedures over the previous six months; cholecystectomy or abdominal hysterectomy. These data were analysed, and a protocol was introduced providing guidelines for the choice of antimicrobial agent, its administration time, route, dose, duration and frequency of treatment. Main outcome measure: The main outcome measure was the success of the uptake of the protocol following its implementation. Results: There was a total of 285 patients identified, 105 prior to and 180 post implementation. Overall, 68% of patients received some form of prophylaxis in the first cycle, and 72% in the second. Conclusion: Although the introduction of the protocol led to slight improvements in compliance with standard prescribing procedures, with an increase in singledose prophylaxis, and a reduction in prolonged prophylactic treatment, the improvements did not reach expectations. This paper attempts to identify the possible barriers to protocol implementation.     

Effect of interventions on prescribing of antimicrobials for prophylaxis in obstetric and gynecologic surgery

The effect of interventions on the conformity of physicians with guidelines for the appropriate use of antimicrobial prophylaxis in obstetric and gynecologic surgery is reported. Guidelines on the appropriate use of antimicrobial prophylaxis in common obstetric and gynecologic surgical procedures were developed in late 1986 by the antibiotic subcommittee at a 1100-bed tertiary-care teaching facility. The guidelines were not adopted immediately by the department of obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN). An audit of the medical records of women who had received antimicrobial therapy for abdominal and vaginal hysterectomies and emergency cesarean sections during January through March 1987 showed that cefoxitin was used in 68% of the cases instead of the less expensive and equally efficacious cefazolin as recommended in the guidelines. The projected annual cost of this nonconformity was $26,500. After the subcommittee informed the physicians about the guidelines and the audit results, the OB-GYN department adopted the guidelines. A second audit performed one year later showed that cefazolin was used in the recommended manner in 93% of cases; projected annual cost savings were $25,000. Both audits showed that prophylactic treatment was inappropriately prolonged in 6% of cases. Substantial cost savings were realized by minimizing inappropriate antimicrobial drug use through efforts to promote rational and cost-effective therapy.     

Direct medical costs associated with using vancomycin in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections: an economic model

SUMMARY

Objectives: To quantify the direct medical costs associated with using vancomycin, as inpatient treatment, in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections, in four clinical indications: complicated skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), bacteremia, infective endocarditis (IE), and hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP).

Research design and methods: A decision-analytic model was constructed to evaluate the cost of administering intravenous vancomycin. Cost inputs included hospitalization, drug procurement, materials, preparation and administration, renal function and drug monitoring, treating adverse events, and treatment failure. Probabilities and lengths of stay and treatment were obtained from the literature, an antimicrobial therapy database and clinical expert opinion. Univariate and multivariate sensitivity analyses were conducted to confirm the robustness of the baseline scenario.

Main outcome measures: The cost of using vancomycin in the four indications, including and excluding hospital cost.

Results: Whereas the drug acquisition price of vancomycin 1?g is $9.01 per dose, when all costs associated with using vancomycin were included, the cost per dose rose to $29–$43 per patient. Total costs per patient receiving multiple doses in a single course of treatment, excluding hospital room costs, were for SSTI, bacteremia, IE, and HAP, $779, $749, $2261, and $768, respectively. Total costs, including hospital length of stay, were for SSTI $23?616, bacteremia $26?446, IE $48?925, and HAP $22?493. In univariate analyses varying per diem hospital costs and length of stay had the greatest impact. Results of the multivariate analysis were comparable to the costs in the baseline scenario for all indications.

Conclusions: This analysis highlights the importance of capturing all costs associated with using a drug and not simply focusing on drug acquisition cost. Future economic analyses should identify and account for the key cost burdens of a particular treatment to calculate its true cost.     

Preventing postoperative infections: current treatment recommendations

Surgical site infections (SSI) remain a major source of postoperative morbidity. The preventive effect of antimicrobial drugs on postoperative infections is without debate. The common basis of accepted indications for prophylaxis is available evidence of effect. Valid reasons to administer antimicrobial prophylaxis include a significant reduction of SSI or reducing the risk of SSI in procedures where the consequences of infection are serious or even disastrous. The antimicrobial drug must be effective against pathogens associated with infection after a given procedure. The first generation cephalosporin, cefazolin, has been considered one of the prophylactic drugs of choice in many authoritative guidelines. The optimal timing of intravenous antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery is considered to be about 30 minutes before incision, i.e. at induction of anaesthesia. A single dose of antimicrobial drugs before the operation is sufficient prophylaxis for most surgical procedures. The development of bacterial resistance is associated with antimicrobial use, and therefore prophylactic antibiotics should be used as little as possible; in addition, the spectrum of activity of drugs used should be as narrow as possible. Although the principles of antimicrobial prophylaxis in surgery have been clearly established, many reports continue to describe inappropriate drug use. Overconsumption in terms of invalid indications or use of drugs with too broad a spectrum of activity should be eliminated by adhering to accepted guidelines. Practical suggestions are given to optimise timing, such as simple reminders on the daily operating programme, the display of prophylaxis regimens according to type of surgery in table format in the operating room and having the anaesthetist note the complete drug regimen on the patient's anaesthesia record. Such measures will help to optimise antibiotic prophylaxis and restrict if to the operating room where it belongs.     

三种清洁手术围手术期抗菌药物的预防应用原则及案例点评

目的：探讨实施清洁手术围手术期抗菌药物预防应用的处方医嘱点评的原则和方法。方法：基于3种类型的清洁手术病例,结合国内外相关文献,明确药师在围手术期抗菌药物预防应用的适应证、药物品种选择、给药时机、持续时间等问题的点评策略。结果：国内法规文件不推荐3种清洁手术在围手术期常规预防应用抗菌药物;国外文献对甲状腺切除术的推荐意见与国内一致,但对腹外疝修补术和乳腺癌切除术则推荐围手术期抗菌药物预防应用。结论：清洁手术因不同术式和患者个体差异,在围手术期抗菌药物应用上存在不同,药师应充分评估患者情况,结合文献进展,开展客观、正确的处方点评工作。     

Antimicrobial prophylaxis for arthroplasty and total joint replacement: discussion and review of published clinical trials

Cephalosporins are often administered to prevent infections that can follow total joint replacements (TJR) and other arthroplastic procedures. However, recommendations contained within published guidelines and review articles vary greatly from those given by the manufacturer in product information circulars. Similarly, the results of published clinical trials vary substantially with regard to the choice of cephalosporin, the dose and dosing interval, and the duration of administration that should be used for antimicrobial prophylaxis in patients undergoing clean orthopedic procedures. Well-designed clinical trials provide data concerning the appropriate use of cephalosporins for preventing infections that may follow TJR or joint arthroplasty.     

Economic benefit of appropriate timing of vancomycin prophylaxis in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To determine if appropriate timing of vancomycin prophylaxis in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery results in an economic benefit by assessing the differences in total duration of hospitalization and hospital costs based on infusion start time in relation to first surgical incision. DESIGN: Prospective, observational study. SETTING: Tertiary care medical center. PATIENTS: A total of 1666 patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) and/or valve replacement surgery who received prophylactic vancomycin. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Appropriateness of vancomycin prophylaxis timing, based on national guidelines defining appropriate timing as start time of infusion ranging from 16-120 minutes before surgery start time, was prospectively monitored. The timing of vancomycin administration was grouped as follows: 0-15 minutes (11 patients), 16-60 minutes (156), 61-120 minutes (772), or more than 120 minutes (727) before incision. Antibiotic timing was appropriate in 928 patients and inappropriate in 738 patients. Length of hospital stay and total hospital costs were compared based on appropriateness of therapy by using multivariate linear regression and validated with a Heckman two-stage model. Median numbers of hospitalization and intensive care unit days were significantly fewer in patients given appropriate prophylaxis at an appropriate time (9 and 2 days, respectively) compared with inappropriate time (10 and 3 days, respectively, p<0.001 for both analyses). Hospital costs were significantly lower in patients who had appropriate timing of antibiotic prophylaxis (median $25,321, interquartile range [IQR] $19,429-35,471) compared with inappropriate timing (median $29,475, IQR $21,507-46,488, p<0.001). Multivariate linear regression and a Heckman two-stage model confirmed that appropriate antibiotic prophylaxis timing was associated with decreased hospitalization duration and hospital costs. CONCLUSION: In patients undergoing CABG or valve replacement surgery, the administration of vancomycin 16-120 minutes before incision significantly reduced patient hospitalization duration and total hospital costs.     

The cost-effectiveness of palivizumab for respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis in premature infants with a gestational age of 32–35 weeks: a Canadian-based analysis

ABSTRACT

Background: Prophylactic therapy with palivizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody, has been shown to reduce the number of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-related hospitalizations in preterm infants, including those in the 32–35 weeks’ gestational age (GA) subgroup. The cost-effectiveness of this therapy in Canada is unknown.

Objectives: To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of palivizumab as respiratory syncytial virus prophylaxis in premature infants born at 32–35 weeks’ GA.

Design: A decision analytic model was designed to compare both direct and indirect medical costs and benefits of prophylaxis in this subgroup of premature infants. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ascertain the robustness of the model for five point estimates: mortality rate, discounting rates, health-utility values, degree of vial-sharing and administration costs. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis (PSA) was also conducted.

Setting: Canadian publicly funded health-care system (Ministry of Health payer perspective) for base-case analysis. Societal perspective, accounting for future lost productivity, was adopted for a secondary analysis.

Participants: Canadian infants born at 32–35 weeks’ GA without chronic lung disease.

Interventions: Palivizumab prophylaxis versus no prophylaxis.

Main outcome measures: Expected costs and incremental cost–effectiveness ratio expressed as cost per life-year gained (LYG) and quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) using 2007 Canadian dollars.

Results: The expected costs were higher for palivizumab prophylaxis as compared with no prophylaxis. The incremental cost–effectiveness ratio (ICER) for the base-case scenario was $20 924 per QALY after discounting, which is considered cost-effective in Canada. When the uncertainty of the input parameter assumptions was tested through sensitivity analyses assessing several data sources for five key parameters, no substantial differences were found from the base-case results. The PSA indicated a 0.99 probability that the ICER for palivizumab was less than $50 000/QALY. Sub-analyses that varied the number of risk factors found that for infants with two or more risk factors, or at least moderate risk, palivizumab had incremental costs per QALY that indicated moderate-to-strong evidence for adoption (range: $808–81 331, per QALY).

Conclusions: Palivizumab was cost-effective and the authors’ model supports prophylaxis for infants born at 32–35 weeks’ GA, particularly those with more than two risk factors or at least a moderate level of risk according to a risk scoring tool.     

Improved perioperative blood pressure control leads to reduced hospital costs

Background: Perioperative hypertension affects 80% of cardiac surgery patients and is associated with an increased risk of complications.

Objective: To determine the relationship between perioperative blood pressure (BP) control and hospital costs for cardiac surgery in the United States (US) and estimate the potential cost reductions associated with effective therapies.

Methods: The analysis estimated hospitalization costs (2011 US dollars (USD)) for cardiac surgery when BP was controlled with intravenous (IV) antihypertensives. Patient characteristics, hospital length of stay, and clinical event rates during the initial hospitalization and post-discharge 30 days after study drug infusion were based on the ECLIPSE (Evaluation of CLevidipine In the Perioperative Treatment of Hypertension Assessing Safety Events) trials. These clinical trial data were combined with data from the Massachusetts Acute Hospital Case Mix Database 2007 – 2009 (MA Case Mix Database) to estimate total hospitalization costs.

Results: Effective perioperative BP control in patients requiring IV antihypertensives was associated with a 7% decrease in hospital costs compared with less effective BP control. Reductions in total hospital costs associated with clevidipine versus other IV antihypertensives averaged $394 per patient overall. Cost savings with clevidipine exceeded $500 per patient versus sodium nitroprusside and nitroglycerin, but only $22 compared to nicardipine.

Conclusion: Improved perioperative BP control may reduce hospital costs. Given the low cost of IV antihypertensives, the total hospital cost reductions may offset any incremental cost increases associated with newer, more effective therapies.     

Assessment of Prophylactic Antibiotic Use in Patients with Surgical Site Infections

Background:

Surgical site infections (SSIs) are the leading cause of hospital-acquired infections and are associated with substantial health care costs, with increased morbidity and death. The Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) contains standards that are nationally reported with the aim of improving patient outcomes after surgery. Our institution’s standards for antimicrobial prophylaxis in the perioperative period are more stringent than these measures and may be considered “beyond SCIP.” The 4 elements of appropriate antimicrobial prophylaxis are timing, antibiotic selection, dosing, and intraoperative redosing.

Objective:

To quantify antimicrobial SSI prophylaxis compliance in accordance with institutional standards and to identify potential opportunities for improvement.

Methods:

Patients aged 18 years or older were included if they had an SSI between January 1, 2009, and June 30, 2010, according to the database maintained prospectively by the Infection Prevention and Control Unit. Adherence to our institution’s practice standards was assessed through analysis of antibiotics administered—timing in relation to the incision, closure, and tourniquet inflation times for the procedure and antibiotic selection, dose, and redosing.

Results:

Overall noncompliance with all 4 elements of antimicrobial prophylaxis was 75.4% among the 760 cases. Repeat dosing had the greatest noncompliance (45.1%); antibiotic selection had the lowest incidence of noncompliance (10.8%).

Conclusions:

Noncompliance existed in each element of antimicrobial SSI prophylaxis, with antibiotic redosing leading in noncompliance. With the implementation of tools to assist the surgical team in following institutional standards, noncompliance will likely decline and additional research opportunities will exist.     

Timely confirmation of gastro-esophageal reflux disease via pH monitoring: estimating budget impact on managed care organizations*

ABSTRACT

Background: Current guidelines recommend the use of pH monitoring to confirm the diagnosis of acid reflux in patients with a normal endoscopy. This analysis evaluated the financial impact of pH monitoring with the wireless pH capsule on a managed care organization (MCO) in the United States.

Methods: A decision model was constructed to project total 1-year costs to manage GERD symptoms with and without the adoption of wireless pH capsules in a hypo­thetical MCO with 10?000 eligible adult enrollees, of whom 600 presented with GERD-like symptoms. Costs of GERD diagnosis, treatment, and symptom management for those in whom a GERD diagnosis was ruled out by pH monitor­ing were assessed. The incremental per-member-per-month (PMPM) and per-treated-member-per-month (PTMPM) costs were the primary outcomes. Data sources included literature, expert input, and standardized fee schedules.

Results: An increase of 10 percentage points in the use of pH monitoring with wireless pH capsules yielded incremental PMPM and PTMPM costs of $0.029 and $0.481, respectively. The costs of proton pump inhibitor (PPI) therapy to the plan dropped to $236?363 from $238?086, while increases were observed in pH monitor­ing (from $16?739 to $21?973) and non-GERD therapy costs (from $1392 to $1740). The results were sensitive to the percentage of patients requiring repeat endoscopy before wireless pH monitoring and the cost of PPIs.

Conclusions: Timely and increased use of pH monitor­ing as recommended in published guidelines leads to less unnecessary use of PPIs with a modest budgetary impact on health plans.     

Costs of needlestick injuries and subsequent hepatitis and HIV infection

ABSTRACT

Background: Physicians, nurses and other healthcare workers (HCWs) are at risk of bloodborne pathogens infection from needlestick injuries, but costs of needlesticks are little studied.

Methods: We used the cost-of-illness and incidence approaches. We used the perspective of the medical provider (medical costs) and the individual (lost product­ivity). Data on needlesticks, infections from hepatitis B and C (HBV, HCV) and human immune-deficiency (HIV) among HCWs, as well as data on per-unit costs were culled from research literature, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports, and Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. We also generated estimates based upon industry employment and scenarios for source-patients. These data and estimates were combined with assumptions to produce a model that generated base-case estimates as well as one-way and multi-way probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Future costs were discounted by 3%.

Results: We estimated 644?963 needlesticks in the healthcare industry for 2004 of which 49% generated costs. Medical costs were $107.3 million of which 96% resulted from testing and prophylaxis and 4% from treating long-term infections (34 persons with chronic HBV, 143 with chronic HCV, and 1 with HIV). Lost-work productivity generated $81.2 million, for which 59% involved testing and prophylaxis and 41% involved long-term infections. Combined medical and work productivity costs summed to $188.5 million. Multi-way sensitivity analysis suggested a range on combined costs from $100.7 million to $405.9 million.

Conclusion: Detailed methodology was developed to estimate costs of needlesticks and subsequent infections for hospital-based and non-hospital-based health care workers. The combined medical and lost productivity costs comprised roughly 0.1% of all occupational injury and illness costs for all jobs in the economy. We did not account for lost home production or pain and suffering costs, however, nor did we estimate benefit/cost ratios of specific interventions to reduce needlesticks.     

抗菌药物在神经外科中的合理应用

本文概述神经外科领域中的常见感染及其致病菌、抗菌治疗经验疗法和手术相关抗菌药预防性治疗。     

The incremental costs of recommended therapy versus real world therapy in type 2 diabetes patients

ABSTRACT

Background: The goals of diabetes management have evolved over the past decade to become the attainment of near-normal glucose and cardiovascular risk factor levels. Improved metabolic control is achieved through optimized medication regimens, but costs specifically associated with such optimization have not been examined.

Objective: To estimate the incremental medication cost of providing optimal therapy to reach recommended goals versus actual therapy in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Methods: We randomly selected the charts of 601 type 2 diabetes patients receiving care from the outpatient clinics of Massachusetts General Hospital March 1, 1996–August 31, 1997 and abstracted clinical and medication data. We applied treatment algorithms based on 2004 clinical practice guidelines for hyperglycemia, hyperlipidemia, and hypertension to patients’ current medication therapy to determine how current medication regimens could be improved to attain recommended treatment goals. Four clinicians and three pharmacists independently applied the algorithms and reached consensus on recommended therapies. Mean incremental medication costs, the cost differences between current and recommended therapies, per patient (expressed in 2004 dollars) were calculated with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: Mean patient age was 65 years old, mean duration of diabetes was 7.7 years, 32% had ideal glucose control, 25% had ideal systolic blood pressure, and 24% had ideal low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Care for these diabetes patients was similar to that observed in recent national studies. If treatment algorithm recommendations were applied, the average annual medication cost/patient would increase from $1525 to $2164. Annual incremental costs/patient increased by $168 (95% CI $133–$206) for antihyperglycemic medications, $75 ($57–$93) for antihypertensive medications, $392 ($354–$434) for antihyperlipidemic medications, and $3 ($3–$4) for aspirin prophylaxis. Yearly incremental cost of recommended laboratory testing ranged from $77–$189/patient.

Limitations: Although baseline data come from the clinics of a single academic institution, collected in 1997, the care of these diabetes patients was remarkably similar to care recently observed nationally. In addition, the data are dependent on the medical record and may not accurately reflect patients’ actual experiences.

Conclusion: Average yearly incremental cost of optimizing drug regimens to achieve recommended treatment goals for type 2 diabetes was approximately $600/patient. These results provide valuable input for assessing the cost-effectiveness of improving comprehensive diabetes care.