The primary objective was to grade the potential impact of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) interventions on patient safety at a single center using a newly developed scoring tool, the Antimicrobial Stewardship Impact Scoring Tool (ASIST).

Retrospective descriptive study.

A 367-bed free-standing, pediatric academic medical center.

The ASP team developed the ASIST which scored each intervention on an impact level (low, moderate, high) based on patient harm avoidance and degree of antibiotic optimization. Intervention frequency and characteristics were collected between May 1, 2022 and October 31, 2023. Intervention rates per impact level were calculated monthly.

The ASP team made 1024 interventions further classified as low (45.1%), moderate (47%), and high impact (7.9%). The interventions for general pediatrics (53.9%) and those to modify formulation (62.2%), dose/frequency (58.1%), and duration (57.5%) were frequently low impact. Hematology/oncology (12.5%), sub-specialty (11.7%), and surgical services (11.3%) had the greatest rate of high-impact interventions. Interventions to broaden antibiotics (40.8%) and those associated with antibiotics used to treat bacteremia (20.6%) were frequently classified as high-impact.

The ASIST is an effective tool to link ASP interventions to prevention of antimicrobial-associated patient harm. For our ASP team, it provided meaningful data to present to hospital leadership and identified opportunities to prevent future harm and reduce ASP team workload.

To evaluate the clinical impact and features associated with repeat tracheal aspirate (TA) cultures in children admitted to the intensive care unit.

Retrospective cohort study.

A 338-bed freestanding, tertiary pediatric academic medical center with pediatric medical intensive care unit (PICU) and cardiac intensive care units (CICU).

Children ≤18 years of age who were admitted to either the PICU or CICU who had ≥2 TA cultures in a single intensive care admission.

Patients with ≥2 TA cultures between 2018 and 2019 were included in this study. The following information was collected: patient demographics, clinical data summarizing patient condition at the time of culture collection, number of TA cultures per patient, antibiotic usage, and microbiologic data. Descriptive statistics established the frequency of TA collection, time between culturing, clinical reasoning for collection, antibiotic exposure, and development of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO).

Sixty-three patients had repeat TA cultures and accounted for 252 TA cultures during the study period. Most patients with repeat TA cultures were admitted to the PICU (71%) and were male (65%). A median of 3 TA cultures per patient were obtained with 50% of repeat cultures occurring within 7 days from the previous culture. Sixty-six percent of patients had the same organism cultured on ≥2 TA cultures. Most antibiotics were not modified or continued to treat the results of the TA culture.

Repeat TA cultures frequently show the same pathogens, and results do not often influence antibiotic selection or usage. Repeat TA cultures did demonstrate the development of MDROs.

To investigate differences in the rate of firstline antibiotic prescribing for common pediatric infections in relation to different socioeconomic statuses and the impact of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) in pediatric urgent-care clinics (PUCs).

Quasi-experimental.

Three PUCs within a Midwestern pediatric academic center.

Patients aged >60 days and <18 years with acute otitis media, group A streptococcal pharyngitis, community-acquired pneumonia, urinary tract infection, or skin and soft-tissue infections who received systemic antibiotics between July 2017 and December 2020. We excluded patients who were transferred, admitted, or had a concomitant diagnosis requiring systemic antibiotics.

We used national guidelines to determine the appropriateness of antibiotic choice in 2 periods: prior to (July 2017–July 2018) and following ASP implementation (August 2018–December 2020). We used multivariable regression analysis to determine the odds ratios of appropriate firstline agent by age, sex, race and ethnicity, language, and insurance type.

The study included 34,603 encounters. Prior to ASP implementation in August 2018, female patients, Black non-Hispanic children, those >2 years of age, and those who self-paid had higher odds of receiving recommended firstline antibiotics for all diagnoses compared to male patients, children of other races and ethnicities, other ages, and other insurance types, respectively. Although improvements in prescribing occurred after implementation of our ASP, the difference within the socioeconomic subsets persisted.

We observed socioeconomic differences in firstline antibiotic prescribing for common pediatric infections in the PUCs setting despite implementation of an ASP. Antimicrobial stewardship leaders should consider drivers of these differences when developing improvement initiatives.

To describe patterns of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing at US children’s hospitals and how these patterns vary by clinical service.

Serial, cross-sectional study using quarterly surveys.

Surveys were completed in quarter 1 2019–quarter 3 2020 across 28 children’s hospitals in the United States.

Patients at children’s hospitals with ≥1 antibiotic order at 8:00 a.m. on institution-selected quarterly survey days.

Antimicrobial stewardship physicians and pharmacists collected data on antibiotic orders and evaluated appropriateness of prescribing. The primary outcome was percentage of inappropriate antibiotics, stratified by clinical service and antibiotic class. Secondary outcomes included reasons for inappropriate use and association of infectious diseases (ID) consultation with appropriateness.

Of 13,344 orders, 1,847 (13.8%) were inappropriate; 17.5% of patients receiving antibiotics had ≥1 inappropriate order. Pediatric intensive care units (PICU) and hospitalists contributed the most inappropriate orders (n = 384 and n = 314, respectively). Surgical subspecialists had the highest percentage of inappropriate orders (22.5%), and 56.8% of these were for prolonged or unnecessary surgical prophylaxis. ID consultation in the previous 7 days was associated with fewer inappropriate orders (15% vs 10%; P < .001); this association was most pronounced for hospitalist, PICU, and surgical and medical subspecialty services.

Inappropriate antibiotic use for hospitalized children persists and varies by clinical service. Across 28 children’s hospitals, PICUs and hospitalists contributed the most inappropriate antibiotic orders, and surgical subspecialists’ orders were most often judged inappropriate. Understanding service-specific prescribing patterns will enable antimicrobial stewardship programs to better design interventions to optimize antibiotic use.

To characterize antifungal prescribing patterns, including the indication for antifungal use, in hospitalized children across the United States.

We analyzed antifungal prescribing data from 32 hospitals that participated in the SHARPS Antibiotic Resistance, Prescribing, and Efficacy among Children (SHARPEC) study, a cross-sectional point-prevalence survey conducted between June 2016 and December 2017.

Inpatients aged <18 years with an active systemic antifungal order were included in the analysis. We classified antifungal prescribing by indication (ie, prophylaxis, empiric, targeted), and we compared the proportion of patients in each category based on patient and antifungal characteristics.

Among 34,927 surveyed patients, 2,095 (6%) received at least 1 systemic antifungal and there were 2,207 antifungal prescriptions. Most patients had an underlying oncology or bone marrow transplant diagnosis (57%) or were premature (13%). The most prescribed antifungal was fluconazole (48%) and the most common indication for antifungal use was prophylaxis (64%). Of 2,095 patients receiving antifungals, 79 (4%) were prescribed >1 antifungal, most often as targeted therapy (48%). The antifungal prescribing rate ranged from 13.6 to 131.2 antifungals per 1,000 patients across hospitals (P < .001).

Most antifungal use in hospitalized children was for prophylaxis, and the rate of antifungal prescribing varied significantly across hospitals. Potential targets for antifungal stewardship efforts include high-risk, high-utilization populations, such as oncology and bone marrow transplant patients, and specific patterns of utilization, including prophylactic and combination antifungal therapy.

To evaluate efficiency and impact of a novel antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) prospective-audit-with-feedback (PAF) review process using the Cerner Multi-Patient Task List (MPTL).

Retrospective cohort study.

A 367-bed free-standing, pediatric academic medical center.

The ASP PAF review process expanded to monitor all systemic and inhaled antibiotics through use of the MPTL on July 23, 2020. Average number of daily ASP reviews, absolute number of monthly interventions, and time to conduct ASP reviews were compared between the preimplementation period and the postimplementation period following expansion. Antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) per 1,000 patient days for overall and select antibiotics were compared between periods. ASP intervention characteristics were assessed.

Average daily ASP reviews significantly increased following program expansion (9 vs 14 reviews; P < .0001), and the absolute number of ASP interventions each month also increased (34 vs 52 interventions; P ≤ .0001). Time to conduct daily ASP reviews increased in the postimplementation period (1.03 vs 1.32 hours). Overall antibiotic DOT per 1,000 patient days significantly decreased in the postimplementation period (457.9 vs 427.9; P < .0001) as well as utilization of select, narrow-spectrum antibiotics such as ampicillin and clindamycin. Intervention type and antibiotics were similar between periods. The ASP documented 128 “nonantibiotic interventions” in the postimplementation period, including culture and/or susceptibility testing (32.8%), immunizations (25.8%), and additional diagnostic testing (22.7%).

Implementation of an ASP PAF review process using the MPTL allowed for efficient expansion of a pre-existing ASP and a decrease in overall antibiotic utilization. ASP documentation was enhanced to fully track the impact of the program.

We examined ampicillin dosing in pediatric patients across 3 conditions: (1) bacterial lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) in infants and children >3 months, (2) neonates with suspected or proven sepsis, and (3) neonates with suspected central nervous system (CNS) infections. We compared our findings to dosing guidance for these specific indications.

Retrospective cohort study.

The study included data from 32 children’s hospitals in the United States.

We reviewed prescriptions from the SHARPS study of antimicrobials, a survey of antibiotic prescribing from July 2016 to December 2017. Prescriptions were analyzed for indication, total daily dose per kilogram, and presence of antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) review. LRTI prescriptions were compared to IDSA recommendations for community-acquired pneumonia. Neonatal prescriptions were compared to recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Prescriptions were categorized as “optimal” (80%–120% of recommended dosing), “suboptimal” (<80% of recommended dosing), or “excessive” (>120% of recommended dosing).

Among 1,038 ampicillin prescriptions, we analyzed 88 prescriptions for LRTI, 499 prescriptions for neonatal sepsis, and 27 prescriptions for neonatal CNS infection. Of the LRTI prescriptions, 77.3%were optimal. Of prescriptions for neonatal sepsis, 81.6% were excessive compared to AAP bacteremia recommendations but 78.8% were suboptimal compared to AAP meningitis guidelines. Also, 48.1% of prescriptions for neonatal CNS infection were suboptimal, and 50.6% of prescriptions were not reviewed by the ASP.

LRTI dosing is generally within the IDSA-recommended range. However, dosing for neonatal sepsis often exceeds the recommendation for bacteremia but is below the recommendation for meningitis. This variability points to an important opportunity for future antimicrobial stewardship efforts.

Paediatric residents are often taught cardiac anatomy with two-dimensional images of heart specimens, or via imaging such as echocardiography or computed tomography. This study aimed to determine if the use of a structured, interactive, teaching session using heart specimens with CHD would be effective in teaching the concepts of cardiac anatomy.

The interest amongst paediatric residents of a cardiac anatomy session using heart specimens was assessed initially by circulating a survey. Next, four major cardiac lesions were identified to be of interest: atrial septal defect, ventricular septal defect, tetralogy of Fallot, and transposition. A list of key structures and anatomic concepts for these lesions was developed, and appropriate specimens demonstrating these features were identified by a cardiac morphologist. A structured, interactive, teaching session was then held with the paediatric residents using the cardiac specimens. The same 10-question assessment was administered at the beginning and end of the session.

The initial survey demonstrated that all the paediatric residents had an interest in a cardiac anatomy teaching session. A total of 24 participated in the 2-hour session. The median pre-test score was 45%, compared to a median post-test score of 90% (p < 0.01). All paediatric residents who completed a post-session survey indicated that the session was a good use of educational time and contributed to increasing their knowledge base. They expressed great interest in future sessions.

A 2-hour hands-on cardiac anatomy teaching session using cardiac specimens can successfully highlight key anatomic concepts for paediatric residents.

Evidence suggests a link between smaller hippocampal volume (HV) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, there has been little prospective research testing this question directly and it remains unclear whether smaller HV confers risk or is a consequence of traumatization and PTSD.

U.S. soldiers (N = 107) completed a battery of clinical assessments, including structural magnetic resonance imaging pre-deployment. Once deployed they completed monthly assessments of traumatic-stressors and symptoms. We hypothesized that smaller HV would potentiate the effects of traumatic stressors on PTSD symptoms in theater. Analyses evaluated whether total HV, lateral (right v. left) HV, or HV asymmetry (right – left) moderated the effects of stressor-exposure during deployment on PTSD symptoms.

Findings revealed no interaction between total HV and average monthly traumatic-stressors on PTSD symptoms b = −0.028, p = 0.681 [95% confidence interval (CI) −0.167 to 0.100]. However, in the context of greater exposure to average monthly traumatic stressors, greater right HV was associated with fewer PTSD symptoms b = −0.467, p = 0.023 (95% CI −0.786 to −0.013), whereas greater left HV was unexpectedly associated with greater PTSD symptoms b = 0.435, p = 0.024 (95% CI 0.028–0.715).

Our findings highlight the importance of considering the complex role of HV, in particular HV asymmetry, in predicting the emergence of PTSD symptoms in response to war-zone trauma.

To assess current resources, interventions, and obstacles of pediatric outpatient antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASP).

Cross-sectional study.

Institutions from the Sharing Antimicrobial Reports for Pediatric Stewardship OutPatient collaborative (SHARPS-OP).

Antimicrobial stewardship leaders from the above institutions.

An investigator-developed survey was deployed online in September 2020 to antimicrobial stewardship leaders in SHARPS-OP institutions. The survey was divided into 4 sections: (1) basic information, (2) status of pediatric outpatient ASP in the institutions including financial support, (3) outpatient ASP interventions undertaken by the institutions, and (4) needs and SHARPS-OP collaborative goals.

Of 56 invited institutions, 45 participated, achieving an 80% response rate. Only 5 sites (11%) had allocated financial support for an outpatient ASP, compared to 42 (95.6%) for their inpatient ASP. The most widely used outpatient ASP interventions included antimicrobial guidance (57.8%), education (46.7%), and quality improvement projects (37.8%). Time was identified as the biggest barrier to expanding outpatient ASPs (91.1%), followed by financial support (53.3%), development of meaningful reports (51.1%), and administrative support (44.4%). Important goals of the collaborative included seeking learning opportunities and developing clear metrics for pediatric outpatient ASP benchmarking. Program needs included securing operational support (35.8%) and strengthening data analysis (31.6%).

Very few pediatric institutions with robust inpatient ASPs have devoted time and financial support to advance outpatient efforts. To promote appropriate antibiotic prescribing in the outpatient arena, time and resource funding by administrative leaders are necessary to develop a robust, sustainable stewardship infrastructure.

The effects of alpha-blockade on haemodynamics during and following congenital heart surgery are well documented, but data on patient outcomes, mortality, and hospital charges are limited. The purpose of this study was to characterise the use of alpha-blockade during congenital heart surgery admissions and to determine its association with common clinical outcomes.

A cross-sectional study was conducted using the Pediatric Health Information System database. De-identified data for patients under 18 years of age with a cardiac diagnosis who underwent congenital heart surgery were obtained from 2004 to 2015. Patients were subdivided on the basis of receiving alpha-blockade with either phenoxybenzamine or phentolamine during admission or not. Continuous and categorical variables were analysed using Mann−Whitney U-tests and Fisher exact tests, respectively. Characteristics between subgroups were compared using univariate analysis. Regression analyses were conducted to determine the impact of alpha-blockade on ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, billed charges, and mortality.

Of the 81,313 admissions, 4309 (5.3%) utilised alpha-blockade. Phentolamine was utilised in 4290 admissions. In univariate analysis, ICU length of stay, total length of stay, inpatient mortality, and billed charges were all significantly higher in the alpha-blockade admissions. However, regression analyses demonstrated that other factors were behind these increased. Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a 1.5 days reduction in ICU length of stay (p < 0.01) and a 3.5 days reduction in total length of stay (p < 0.01). Alpha-blockade was significantly, independently associated with a reduction in mortality (odds ratio 0.8, 95% confidence interval 0.7−0.9). Alpha-blockade was not independently associated with any significant change in billed charges.

Alpha-blockade is used in a subset of paediatric cardiac surgeries and is independently associated with significant reductions in ICU length of stay, hospital length of stay, and mortality without significantly altering billed charges.