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Evaluation of Antimicrobial Therapy Orders Circumventing an Antimicrobial Stewardship Program: Investigating the Strategy of “Stealth Dosing”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Lori Ann LaRosa ,
Neil O. Fishman ,
Ebbing Lautenbach ,
Ross J. Koppel ,
Knashawn H. Morales  and
Darren R. Linkin
Lori Ann LaRosa
Affiliation:
Department of Pharmacy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Neil O. Fishman
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Ebbing Lautenbach
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Ross J. Koppel
Affiliation:
Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Department of Sociology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Knashawn H. Morales
Affiliation:
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Darren R. Linkin*
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Education and Research on Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
*
711 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (linkin@mail.med.upenn.edu)
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Abstract

Objective.

Prior-approval antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) improve patient outcomes and decrease antimicrobial resistance. These benefits would be limited if physicians circumvented ASP efforts. We evaluated whether prescribers wait until after the prior-approval period to order restricted antimicrobial therapy that is in conflict with guidelines or unnecessary.

Design.

A cross-sectional study design and a retrospective cohort study design.

Setting.

A tertiary care, academic medical center with a prior-approval ASP that was active between 8 AM and 10 PM.

Methods.

We evaluated whether there was an increase in the proportion of orders for antimicrobial therapy that involve restricted (vs nonrestricted) antimicrobials during the first hour that the ASP is inactive (ie, the first hour that prior approval is not required), compared with the remainder of the day. We also evaluated whether restricted antimicrobial therapy ordered during this first hour is less likely to be continued when the ASP becomes active the next day, compared with that ordered during the preceding hour.

Results.

A greater proportion of the antimicrobial therapy orders placed between 10:00 PM and 10:59 PM were for restricted agents, compared with orders placed during other periods (57.0% vs 49.9%; P = .02). Surgical patients for whom antimicrobial therapy orders were placed between 10:00 PM and 10:59 PM were less likely to have that antimicrobial therapy continued, compared with patients whose therapy was ordered between 9:00 PM and 9:59 PM (60.0% vs 98.1%; P <.001). Nonsurgical patients whose therapy orders were placed between 10:00PM and 10:59 PM were also less likely to have the ordered antimicrobial therapy continued, compared with patients whose therapy was ordered between 9:00 PM and 9:59 PM (70.8% vs 84.2%; P = .01).

Conclusion.

Physicians avoid having to obtain prior approval for therapy involving restricted antimicrobials by waiting until restrictions are no longer active to place orders. Compared with restricted antimicrobial therapy ordered when the ASP is active, these courses of therapy are less often continued by the ASP, suggesting that they are more likely to be in conflict with guidelines or unnecessary.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 28 , Issue 5 , May 2007 , pp. 551 - 556
Copyright
Copyright © The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America 2007

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