Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-nwzlb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T11:23:16.691Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Comparative Assessment of Antimicrobial Usage Measures in the Department of Veterans Affairs

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Patricia L. Schirmer*
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California
Renee C. Mercier
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico
Russell A. Ryono
Affiliation:
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
Nancy Nguyen
Affiliation:
VA Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California
Cynthia A. Lucero
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California
Gina Oda
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California
Mark Holodniy
Affiliation:
Office of Public Health, Department of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto, California
*
3801 Miranda Avenue (132), Palo Alto, CA 94304 (patricia.schirmer@va.gov)

Abstract

We compared 2 data sources—antimicrobial orders and bar-coded medication administration (BCMA)—for calculating the number of grams used, grams used based on defined daily dose, and days of therapy at one Veterans Affairs Medical Center for 2009-2010. The number of grams used calculated from BCMA data provided the most informative antimicrobial utilization measure.

Type
Concise Communication
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2012

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. VA Benefits and Health Care Utilization. National Center for Veterans Analysis and Statistics. Updated August 2011. http://www.va.gov/vetdata/docs/Quickfacts/Summer2011.pdf.Google Scholar
2. Schwartz, D, Evans, RS, Camins, B, et al. Deriving measures of intensive care unit antimicrobial use from computerized pharmacy data: methods, validation, and overcoming barriers. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2011;32:472480.Google Scholar
3. Caffrey, AR, Luo, R, Welch, VL, et al. National daptomycin, linezolid, and vancomycin utilization patterns in the Veterans Affairs Health System. Abstract K-939. 50th Interscience Conference on Anrimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. Boston, MA, 2010.Google Scholar
4. Polk, R, Fox, C, Mahoney, A, Letcavage, J, MacDougall, C. Measurement of adult antibacterial drug use in 130 US hospitals: comparison of defined daily dose and days of therapy. Clin Infect Dis 2007;44:664670.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
5. de With, K, Bestehorn, H, Steib Bauert, M, Kern, WV. Comparison of defined versus recommended versus prescribed daily doses for measuring hospital antibiotic consumption. Infection 2009;37:349352.Google Scholar
6. de With, K, Maier, L, Steib Bauert, M, Kern, P, Kern, WV. Trends in antibiotic use at a university hospital: defined or prescribed daily doses? patient days or admissions as denominator? Infection 2006;34:9194.Google Scholar
7. Hutchinson, J, Patrick, D, Marra, F, et al. Measurement of antibiotic consumption: a practical guide to the use of the anatomical therapeutic chemical classification and definied daily dose system methodology in Canada. Can J Infect Dis 2004;15:2935.Google Scholar
8. Guidelines for ATC classification and DDD assignment, Oslo 2009. In: Methodology WcCfDS, ed. 2010.Google Scholar
9. Itokazu, G, Glowacki, R, Schwartz, D, Wisniewski, M, Rydman, R, Weinstein, R. Antimicrobial consumption data from pharmacy and nursing records: how good are they? Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2005;26:395400.Google Scholar