National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report
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Search All Research Studies
Topics
- Adverse Events (1)
- Ambulatory Care and Surgery (1)
- Antibiotics (12)
- (-) Antimicrobial Stewardship (24)
- Children/Adolescents (1)
- Clostridium difficile Infections (4)
- Comparative Effectiveness (1)
- Critical Care (1)
- Decision Making (1)
- Education: Continuing Medical Education (1)
- Elderly (2)
- Evidence-Based Practice (2)
- Guidelines (3)
- (-) Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs) (24)
- Healthcare Costs (2)
- Hospitals (1)
- Infectious Diseases (6)
- Inpatient Care (2)
- Intensive Care Unit (ICU) (1)
- Long-Term Care (3)
- Medication (11)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) (3)
- Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) (2)
- Newborns/Infants (2)
- Nursing (1)
- Nursing Homes (3)
- Patient-Centered Outcomes Research (1)
- Patient Safety (9)
- Pneumonia (1)
- Practice Patterns (1)
- Prevention (11)
- Registries (1)
- Respiratory Conditions (2)
- Surgery (2)
AHRQ Research Studies
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Research Studies is a compilation of published research articles funded by AHRQ or authored by AHRQ researchers.
Results
1 to 24 of 24 Research Studies DisplayedSafdar N, Parmasad V, Brown R
Decreasing ICU-associated Clostridioides difficile infection through fluoroquinolone restriction, the FIRST trial: a study protocol.
Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common healthcare-associated infections in the USA, having high incidence in intensive care units (ICU). Antibiotic use increases risk of CDI, with fluoroquinolones (FQs) particularly implicated. In healthcare settings, antibiotic stewardship (AS) and infection control interventions are effective in CDI control, but there is little evidence regarding the most effective AS interventions. In this paper the investigators describe their multisite, stepped-wedge, cluster, effectiveness-implementation clinical trial.
AHRQ-funded; R01 HS026226.
Citation: Safdar N, Parmasad V, Brown R .
Decreasing ICU-associated Clostridioides difficile infection through fluoroquinolone restriction, the FIRST trial: a study protocol.
BMJ Open 2021 Jun 29;11(6):e046480. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-046480..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Intensive Care Unit (ICU), Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Prevention
Deshpande A, Richter SS, Haessler S
De-escalation of empiric antibiotics following negative cultures in hospitalized patients with pneumonia: rates and outcomes.
This study assessed antibiotic de-escalation practices across hospitals and their associations with outcomes in hospitalized patients diagnosed with pneumonia with negative cultures. The authors included 14,170 adults admitted with pneumonia in 2010-2015 to 164 US hospitals if they had negative blood and/or respiratory cultures and received both anti-MRSA and antipseudomonal agents other than quinolones. If empiric drugs were stopped on day 4 while continuing another antibiotic it was defined at de-escalation. Patients were propensity adjusted for de-escalation and compared on in-hospital 14-day mortality, late deterioration with ICU transfer, length-of-stay (LOS) and costs. Thirteen percent (1924 patients) had both initial empiric drugs stopped by hospital day 4. De-escalation rates at hospitals ranged from 2-35% and the established rate quartiles were not significantly associated with outcomes. Even at hospitals in the top quartile of de-escalation, the de-escalation rates were lower than 50%.
AHRQ-funded; HS025026; HS024277.
Citation: Deshpande A, Richter SS, Haessler S .
De-escalation of empiric antibiotics following negative cultures in hospitalized patients with pneumonia: rates and outcomes.
Clin Infect Dis 2021 Apr 26;72(8):1314-22. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa212..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Pneumonia, Respiratory Conditions, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Inpatient Care
Chiotos K, Rock C, Schweizer ML
Current infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship program practices: a survey of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network (SRN).
This survey compares results with a similar 2013 survey that characterizes contemporary infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship program practices across 64 healthcare facilities. There was decreased frequency of active surveillance for MRSA, frequent active surveillance for carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae, and increased support for antibiotic stewardship programs.
AHRQ-funded; HS026393.
Citation: Chiotos K, Rock C, Schweizer ML .
Current infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship program practices: a survey of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) Research Network (SRN).
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2019 Sep;40(9):1046-49. doi: 10.1017/ice.2019.172.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Prevention, Practice Patterns
Anderson DJ, Watson S, Moehring RW
Feasibility of core antimicrobial stewardship interventions in community hospitals.
The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and results of implementing 2 core stewardship intervention strategies in community hospitals. The two antimicrobial stewardship strategies targeted vancomycin hydrochloride, piperacillin-tazobactam, and the antipseudomonal carbapenems on formulary at the study hospitals: (1) modified preauthorization (PA), in which the prescriber had to receive pharmacist approval for continued use of the antibiotic after the first dose, and (2) postprescription audit and review (PPR), in which the pharmacist would engage the prescriber about antibiotic appropriateness after 72 hours of therapy.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Anderson DJ, Watson S, Moehring RW .
Feasibility of core antimicrobial stewardship interventions in community hospitals.
The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility and results of implementing 2 core stewardship intervention strategies in community hospitals. The two antimicrobial stewardship strategies targeted vancomycin hydrochloride, piperacillin-tazobactam, and the antipseudomonal carbapenems on formulary at the study hospitals: (1) modified preauthorization (PA), in which the prescriber had to receive pharmacist approval for continued use of the antibiotic after the first dose, and (2) postprescription audit and review (PPR), in which the pharmacist would engage the prescriber about antibiotic appropriateness after 72 hours of therapy..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Hospitals, Infectious Diseases, Medication, Patient Safety
Monsees EA, Tamma PD, Cosgrove SE
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Integrating bedside nurses into antibiotic stewardship: a practical approach.
This study looked into a framework for nurses to integrate antibiotic stewardship (AS) into their clinical work with patients. The practices that nurses can take include improving antibiotic prescribing practices through appropriate obtainment of Cloistridioides difficile tests, appropriate urine culturing practices, optimal antibiotic administration, accurate and detailed documentation of antibiotic allergy histories, and through the prompting of antibiotic time outs. Barriers were also identified to engagement of nurses in AS and offered potential solutions.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 233201500020I.
Citation: Monsees EA, Tamma PD, Cosgrove SE .
Integrating bedside nurses into antibiotic stewardship: a practical approach.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2019 May;40(5):579-84. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.362..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Guidelines, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Medication, Nursing, Patient Safety
Karandikar MV, Coffin SE, Priebe GP
Variability in antimicrobial use in pediatric ventilator-associated events.
This article describes a study which assesses variability in antimicrobial use and associations with infection testing in pediatric ventilator-associated events (VAEs). 192 patients with ventilator-associated conditions were identified in neonatal, pediatric, and cardiac ICUs in six hospitals. Type and duration of antimicrobial use varied by ICU type. The authors conclude that antimicrobial use is common in pediatric ventilator-associated conditions, but pediatric VAP is uncommon; prolonged usage of antimicrobials in spite of low pediatric VAP rates or positive laboratory testing for infection suggests that pediatric ventilator-associated conditions with antimicrobial use for >/= 4 days may provide a lever for antimicrobial stewardship programs to improve utilization.
AHRQ-funded; HS021636.
Citation: Karandikar MV, Coffin SE, Priebe GP .
Variability in antimicrobial use in pediatric ventilator-associated events.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2019 Jan;40(1):32-39. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.264..
Keywords: Adverse Events, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Children/Adolescents, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Respiratory Conditions
Kline SE, Sanstead EC, Johnson JR
Cost-effectiveness of pre-operative Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization.
In this study, the investigators developed a decision analytic model to evaluate the impact of a preoperative Staphylococcus aureus decolonization bundle on surgical site infections (SSIs), health-care-associated costs (HCACs), and deaths due to SSI. The investigators predict that the treat-all strategy would be the most effective and cost-saving strategy for preventing SSIs. However, they concluded that because this strategy might select more extensively for mupirocin-resistant S. aureus and cause more medication adverse effects than the test-and-treat approach or the SOC, additional studies are needed to define its comparative benefits and harms.
AHRQ-funded; HS022912.
Citation: Kline SE, Sanstead EC, Johnson JR .
Cost-effectiveness of pre-operative Staphylococcus aureus screening and decolonization.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2018 Nov;39(11):1340-46. doi: 10.1017/ice.2018.228..
Keywords: Surgery, Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Patient Safety, Prevention, Healthcare Costs
D'Agata EMC, Tran D, Bautista J
Clinical and economic benefits of antimicrobial stewardship programs in hemodialysis facilities: a decision analytic model.
In this study, the authors developed a decision analytic model of antimicrobial use on the clinical and economic consequences of implementing a nationwide antimicrobial stewardship program in outpatient dialysis facilities. The authors found that the model suggested that implementation of antimicrobial stewardship programs in outpatient dialysis facilities would result in substantial reductions in infections caused by multidrug-resistant organisms and C. difficile, infection-related deaths, and costs.
AHRQ-funded; R18 HS021666.
Citation: D'Agata EMC, Tran D, Bautista J .
Clinical and economic benefits of antimicrobial stewardship programs in hemodialysis facilities: a decision analytic model.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2018 Sep 7;13(9):1389-97. doi: 10.2215/cjn.12521117..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Decision Making, Antibiotics, Medication, Healthcare Costs, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Johnson SP, Zhong L, Chung KC
Perioperative antibiotics for clean hand surgery: a national study.
This research is a national study on the use of prophylactic antibiotics in soft tissue hand surgery when antimicrobials are not indicated. Insurance claims from the Truven MarketScan Databases were used to identify patients who had 1 of 5 outpatient surgery procedures including: open or endoscopic carpal tunnel release; trigger finger release; de Ouervain release, and wrist ganglion excision between 2009 and 2015. An increase of 72.5% in prophylactic intravenous antibiotics was shown from 2009 to 2015. Patients with a younger age, male sex, lower income, or obesity had higher odds of receiving antibiotics. Total charge for these antibiotics equaled $1.6 million.
AHRQ-funded; HS023313.
Citation: Johnson SP, Zhong L, Chung KC .
Perioperative antibiotics for clean hand surgery: a national study.
J Hand Surg Am 2018 May;43(5):407-16.e1. doi: 10.1016/j.jhsa.2017.11.018..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Medication, Patient Safety, Surgery
D'Agata EMC
Addressing the problem of multidrug-resistant organisms in dialysis.
This review examined the problem of multi-drug resistant organisms in patients on maintenance hemodialysis. It is common problem in patients on hemodialysis, with rates of colonization of multi-drug resistant organisms ranging from 3% to over 20%. A prospective cohort study of patients was conducted in one outpatient dialysis unit. The acquisition of these organisms occurred in 40% of patients, with 13% and 15% of patients acquiring MRSA and VRE respectively. Contamination came from dialysis machines and chairs, and also believed to come from healthcare workers as well. The study recommends implementing antimicrobial stewardship programs to improve antimicrobial prescribing patterns and decreasing health care costs. AHRQ is one of the agencies involved in this promotion and research effort.
AHRQ-funded; HS021666.
Citation: D'Agata EMC .
Addressing the problem of multidrug-resistant organisms in dialysis.
Clin J Am Soc Nephrol 2018 Apr 6;13(4):666-68. doi: 10.2215/cjn.13781217..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Jump RLP, Crnich CJ, Mody L
Infectious diseases in older adults of long-term care facilities: update on approach to diagnosis and management.
The diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of infectious diseases in older adults in long-term care facilities (LTCFs), particularly nursing facilities, remains a challenge for all health providers who care for this population. This review provides updated information on the currently most important challenges of infectious diseases in LTCFs. With the increasing prescribing of antibiotics in older adults, particularly in LTCFs, the topic of antibiotic stewardship is presented in this review.
AHRQ-funded; HS022465.
Citation: Jump RLP, Crnich CJ, Mody L .
Infectious diseases in older adults of long-term care facilities: update on approach to diagnosis and management.
J Am Geriatr Soc 2018 Apr;66(4):789-803. doi: 10.1111/jgs.15248.
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Keywords: Elderly, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Infectious Diseases, Nursing Homes, Long-Term Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Evidence-Based Practice, Guidelines
Katz MJ, Gurses AP, Tamma PD
AHRQ Author: Miller MA
Implementing antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care settings: an integrative review using a human factors approach.
In this integrative review, the authors analyzed published evidence in the context of a human factors engineering approach as well as educational interventions to understand aspects of multimodal interventions associated with the implementation of successful stewardship programs in long term care facilities. The outcomes indicate that effective antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care is supported by incorporating multidisciplinary education, tools integrated into the workflow of nurses and prescribers that facilitate review of antibiotic use, and involvement of infectious disease consultants.
AHRQ-authored; AHRQ-funded; 2332015000201.
Citation: Katz MJ, Gurses AP, Tamma PD .
Implementing antimicrobial stewardship in long-term care settings: an integrative review using a human factors approach.
Clin Infect Dis 2017 Nov;65(11):1943-51. doi: 10.1093/cid/cix566.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Elderly, Long-Term Care, Nursing Homes
Anderson DJ, Addison R, Lokhnygina Y
The Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) trial: a three-arm, blinded, randomized controlled trial with crossover design to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs in preventing healthcare provider contamination.
The objective of the study was to determine whether antimicrobial-impregnated textiles decrease the acquisition of pathogens by healthcare provider (HCP) clothing. The authors found that antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs were not effective at reducing HCP contamination. They indicated, however, that the environment was an important source of HCP clothing contamination.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Anderson DJ, Addison R, Lokhnygina Y .
The Antimicrobial Scrub Contamination and Transmission (ASCOT) trial: a three-arm, blinded, randomized controlled trial with crossover design to determine the efficacy of antimicrobial-impregnated scrubs in preventing healthcare provider contamination.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Oct;38(10):1147-54. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.181..
Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Barker AK, Ngam C, Musuuza JS
Reducing Clostridium difficile in the inpatient setting: a systematic review of the adherence to and effectiveness of C. difficile prevention bundles.
Researchers conducted a systematic review to examine the components of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) prevention bundles, their implementation processes, and their impact on CDI rates. They concluded that given the lack of randomized controlled trials in the literature, assessing a causal relationship between bundled interventions and CDI rates is currently impossible.
AHRQ-funded; HS023791.
Citation: Barker AK, Ngam C, Musuuza JS .
Reducing Clostridium difficile in the inpatient setting: a systematic review of the adherence to and effectiveness of C. difficile prevention bundles.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Jun;38(6):639-50. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.7.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Guidelines, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Seidelman J, Dicks KV, Durkin MJ
Using clinical scenarios to understand preventability of Clostridium difficile infections by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs.
The authors of this research brief designed a 2-phase study (1) to define the types of clostridium difficile infections (CDI) that clinicians consider unlikely preventable by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs and (2) to estimate the relative proportion of inpatient CDI cases at a tertiary-care hospital that belongs to this category of “nonpreventable” CDI.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Seidelman J, Dicks KV, Durkin MJ .
Using clinical scenarios to understand preventability of Clostridium difficile infections by inpatient antibiotic stewardship programs.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Jun;38(6):747-49. doi: 10.1017/ice.2017.32..
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Inpatient Care
Moehring RW, Anderson DJ, Cochran RL
Expert consensus on metrics to assess the impact of patient-level antimicrobial stewardship interventions in acute-care settings.
Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) positively impact patient care, but metrics to assess ASP impact are poorly defined. Researchers used a modified Delphi approach to select relevant metrics for assessing patient-level interventions in acute-care settings for the purposes of internal program decision making. On a 9-point Likert scale, six metrics were rated >6 in all criteria and fourteen metrics rated >6 in all criteria except feasibility.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Moehring RW, Anderson DJ, Cochran RL .
Expert consensus on metrics to assess the impact of patient-level antimicrobial stewardship interventions in acute-care settings.
Clin Infect Dis 2017 Feb 1;64(3):377-83. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciw787.
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Keywords: Critical Care, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Patient Safety, Prevention
Trautner BW, Greene MT, Krein SL
Infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship knowledge for selected infections among nursing home personnel.
This study assessed knowledge about infection prevention among nursing home personnel and identified gaps potentially addressable through a quality improvement collaborative. It found that, while 99.1 percent of licensed personnel recognized the definition of asymptomatic bacteriuria, only 36.1 percent knew that pyuria could not distinguish a urinary tract infection from asymptomatic bacteriuria.
AHRQ-funded; 290201000025I.
Citation: Trautner BW, Greene MT, Krein SL .
Infection prevention and antimicrobial stewardship knowledge for selected infections among nursing home personnel.
Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017 Jan;38(1):83-88. doi: 10.1017/ice.2016.228.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Education: Continuing Medical Education, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Nursing Homes, Prevention, Patient Safety
Reich PJ, Boyle MG, Hogan PG
Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the neonatal intensive care unit: an infection prevention and patient safety challenge.
Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections cause significant morbidity and mortality in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). The researchers characterized the clinical and molecular epidemiology of MRSA strains colonizing NICU patients. They found that community-acquired MRSA strains are prominent in the NICU and associated with distinct risk factors.
AHRQ-funded; HS021736; HS024269.
Citation: Reich PJ, Boyle MG, Hogan PG .
Emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus strains in the neonatal intensive care unit: an infection prevention and patient safety challenge.
Clin Microbiol Infect 2016 Jul;22(7):645.e1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.cmi.2016.04.013.
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Keywords: Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Patient Safety, Prevention, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Newborns/Infants, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs)
Wares JR, Lawson B, Shemin D
Evaluating infection prevention strategies in out-patient dialysis units using agent-based modeling.
The researchers hypothesized that targeting patients receiving antimicrobial treatment would more effectively reduce transmission and acquisition of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) and further that environmental contamination plays a role in the dissemination of MDRO in the dialysis unit. They found that reducing antimicrobial treatment markedly reduces overall colonization rates and also the levels of environmental contamination in the dialysis unit. They suggested that improving the environmental decontamination efficacy between patient dialysis treatments as an effective method for reducing colonization and contamination rates.
AHRQ-funded; HS021666.
Citation: Wares JR, Lawson B, Shemin D .
Evaluating infection prevention strategies in out-patient dialysis units using agent-based modeling.
PLoS One 2016 May 19;11(5):e0153820. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153820.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Antibiotics, Medication, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Ambulatory Care and Surgery, Infectious Diseases
Alvarez E, Uslan DZ, Malloy T
It is time to revise our approach to registering antimicrobial agents for health care settings.
This paper discusses antimicrobial surfaces, such as copper alloy, for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections. The authors address the current process for registering antimicrobial products, flaws in the registration requirements, and the need for evidence-based approaches to reduce healthcare-associated infections.
AHRQ-funded; HS021188.
Citation: Alvarez E, Uslan DZ, Malloy T .
It is time to revise our approach to registering antimicrobial agents for health care settings.
Am J Infect Control 2016 Feb;44(2):228-32. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2015.09.015.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Prevention, Evidence-Based Practice, Registries
Milstone AM, Koontz DW, Voskertchian A
Treating parents to reduce NICU transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (TREAT PARENTS) trial: protocol of a multisite randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
This study looks to measure the effect of treating parents with short course intranasal mupirocin and topical chlorhexidine antisepsis on acquisition of S. aureus colonisation and infection in neonates. The primary outcome will be neonatal acquisition of an S. aureus strain that is concordant to the parental baseline S. aureus strain.
AHRQ-funded; HS022872.
Citation: Milstone AM, Koontz DW, Voskertchian A .
Treating parents to reduce NICU transmission of Staphylococcus aureus (TREAT PARENTS) trial: protocol of a multisite randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
BMJ Open 2015 Sep 09;5(9):e009274. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2015-009274.
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Keywords: Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Newborns/Infants, Antimicrobial Stewardship, Prevention, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU)
Rothberg MB, Zilberberg MD, Pekow PS
Association of guideline-based antimicrobial therapy and outcomes in healthcare-associated pneumonia.
The study objective was to examine the association between guideline-based therapy (GBT) and outcomes for patients with healthcare associated pneumonia (HCAP). It found that among patients who met HCAP criteria, GBT was not associated with lower adjusted mortality, length of stay or costs in any analyses.
AHRQ-funded; HS018723.
Citation: Rothberg MB, Zilberberg MD, Pekow PS .
Association of guideline-based antimicrobial therapy and outcomes in healthcare-associated pneumonia.
J Antimicrob Chemother 2015 May;70(5):1573-9. doi: 10.1093/jac/dku533..
Keywords: Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Antimicrobial Stewardship, Comparative Effectiveness
Jump RL, Heath B, Crnich CJ
Knowledge, beliefs, and confidence regarding infections and antimicrobial stewardship: a survey of Veterans Affairs providers who care for older adults.
The reseasrchers conducted an anonymous survey of providers who care for older adults from 10 Veterans Affairs long-term-care facilities to assess their knowledge, beliefs, and confidence toward treating infections and antimicrobial stewardship. They found that the average score on 5 questions assessing knowledge was 3.6 out of 5.0, thus supporting a need for education regarding the care of older adults with infections.
AHRQ-funded; HS023866.
Citation: Jump RL, Heath B, Crnich CJ .
Knowledge, beliefs, and confidence regarding infections and antimicrobial stewardship: a survey of Veterans Affairs providers who care for older adults.
Am J Infect Control 2015 Mar;43(3):298-300. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2014.11.017.
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Keywords: Antimicrobial Stewardship, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Long-Term Care, Medication
Chung P, Currie B, Guo Y
Investigation to identify a resource-efficient case-control methodology for determining antibiotics associated with Clostridium difficile infection.
This study consisted of a series of case-control studies involving two groups of patients admitted to the hospital, the first group with clostridium difficile infection (CDI), and a control group without CDI. The purpose was to determine the relationship between the use of antibiotics and the presence of CDI. A simple matching strategy was found to be an efficient and feasible compromise strategy to identify high-risk antibiotics associated with CDI.
AHRQ-funded; 290200600012I
Citation: Chung P, Currie B, Guo Y .
Investigation to identify a resource-efficient case-control methodology for determining antibiotics associated with Clostridium difficile infection.
Am J Infect Control. 2014 Oct;42(10 Suppl):S264-8. doi: 10.1016/j.ajic.2014.05.001..
Keywords: Clostridium difficile Infections, Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAIs), Antimicrobial Stewardship