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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
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1 to 4 of 4 Research Studies DisplayedWarren DK, Peacock KM, Nickel KB
Postdischarge prophylactic antibiotics following mastectomy with and without breast reconstruction.
The authors investigated factors associated with post-discharge prophylactic antibiotic use after mastectomy with and without immediate reconstruction and the impact on surgical-site infection (SSI). They found that anti-methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus antibiotics were associated with decreased risk of SSI for patients who had mastectomy only and those who had mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. They concluded that the high numbers needed to treat suggest that potential benefits of post-discharge antibiotics should be weighed against potential harms associated with antibiotic overuse.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455.
Citation: Warren DK, Peacock KM, Nickel KB .
Postdischarge prophylactic antibiotics following mastectomy with and without breast reconstruction.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2022 Oct;43(10):1382-88. doi: 10.1017/ice.2021.400..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Cancer: Breast Cancer, Cancer, Medication, Surgery, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Women, Practice Patterns
Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
This study’s objective was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with post-discharge prophylactic antibiotic use after spinal fusion and whether use was associated with decreased risk of surgical site infection (SSI). The study cohort included persons aged 10-64 years undergoing 156,446 spinal fusion procedures between January 2010 and July 2015. Excluded patients included complicated cases and those coded for infection from 30 days before to 2 days after surgical admission. Outpatient oral antibiotic prescriptions were identified within 2 days of surgical discharge. ICD-9-CM diagnosis codes were used to identify SSI within 90 days of surgery. Post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics were used in 9223 surgeries. SSIs occurred after 2557 procedures (1.6%). Factors significantly associated with post-discharge antibiotic use included history of lymphoma, diabetes, 3-7 versus 1-2 vertebral levels fused, and non-infectious postoperative complications. Analysis showed antibiotic use was not associated with decreased SSI risk after spinal fusion.
AHRQ-funded; HS019455; HS027075.
Citation: Olsen MA, Greenberg JK, Peacock K .
Lack of association of post-discharge prophylactic antibiotics with decreased risk of surgical site infection following spinal fusion.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2022 Mar 31;77(4):1178-84. doi: 10.1093/jac/dkab475..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Surgery, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Practice Patterns
Coleman DT, Stone CA, Wei WQ
Penicillin allergy labels drive perioperative prophylactic antibiotic selection in orthopedic procedures.
This retrospective chart review was conducted to study prophylactic antibiotic selection in patients with penicillin allergy labels (PALs) during and after orthopedic surgical procedures. Generally, PALs are associated with surgical site infections (SSIs). Most orthopedic surgeries use a first-generation cephalosporin such as cefazolin due to decreased costs and lower SSI rates. PAL surgical patients more often receive vancomycin and clindamycin over cefazolin for concern of penicillin and cephalosporin cross-reactivity. This study used iterative natural language processing (NLP) and manual chart review to examine Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s deidentified patient data. Perioperative antibiotic selection data were available to review for 9300 surgeries, of whom 1412 (15.2%) were patients with PALs. Surgeries in patients with PALs used cefazolin less frequently than patients without PALs, and were more frequently prescribed clindamycin. PALs patients were more frequently female and white. The first pull with NLP found a much larger number of cases where non-PAL patients used clindamycin than expected. However, after manual chart review, 550 of these cases were found to be patients with PALS who had PAL free-text inputs missed by their initial NLP protocol.
AHRQ-funded; HS026395.
Citation: Coleman DT, Stone CA, Wei WQ .
Penicillin allergy labels drive perioperative prophylactic antibiotic selection in orthopedic procedures.
J Allergy Clin Immunol Pract 2020 Nov-Dec;8(10):3634-36e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jaip.2020.07.007..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Medication, Surgery, Practice Patterns
Malone SM, Seigel NS, Newland JG
Understanding antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing in pediatric surgical specialties.
The objective of this study was to understand the factors that contribute to pediatric surgeons' decisions regarding the use of perioperative antibiotic prophylaxis. The investigators found that surgeons described a complex set of factors that impacted their antibiotic prescribing in pediatric surgical cases. They reported initial, but not ongoing, training and a use of individual weight of risk and benefit as a major dictator of prescribing practices.
AHRQ-funded; HS026742.
Citation: Malone SM, Seigel NS, Newland JG .
Understanding antibiotic prophylaxis prescribing in pediatric surgical specialties.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2020 Jun;41(6):666-71. doi: 10.1017/ice.2020.71..
Keywords: Children/Adolescents, Antibiotics, Surgery, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Medication, Practice Patterns