Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-23-2019

Abstract

Background:

The Surviving Sepsis Campaign Guidelines recommends administration of broad-spectrum antibiotics within 1 hour of sepsis diagnosis; electronic order sets drive antibiotic selection with pre-populated regimens based on the suspected infectious indication. Given the low rate of cephalosporin cross-reactivity in patients with a PCN allergy, we modified our ED sepsis order set (Images 1 and 2) to include cephalosporin options in patients with reported mild-to-moderate PCN reaction histories. This was a single-center, retrospective analysis evaluating the impact of this change on antibiotic prescribing and associated outcomes.

Methods:

An electronic medical record (EMR) report identified patients ≥18 years of age with a documented PCN allergy that received antibiotics via the ED sepsis order set from December 30, 2012 to September 28, 2013 (pre-intervention) and January 3, 2014 to July 18, 2015 (post-intervention). The primary objective was to compare antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) and length of therapy (LOT) between the pre- and post-groups. The secondary objectives included 30-day readmission and mortality, hospital length of stay (LOS), incidence of C. difficile within 6 months and documented hypersensitivity reactions. Bivariate analyses, with chi-square, Mann–Whitney U, and Poisson means test, were used.

Results:

A total of 180 patients (90 pre- and 90 post-intervention) were included. Demographics were similar between groups, with the exception of congestive heart failure (CHF) which was more prevalent in the post-intervention group (P = 0.039). Aztreonam, vancomycin, aminoglycoside, and fluoroquinolone DOTs were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) while cephalosporin DOTs significantly increased (P < 0.001) in the post-intervention group. There were no statistical differences in antibiotic LOT, 30-day readmission and mortality, hospital LOS, or incidence of C. difficile infection. For those patients that received cephalosporin antibiotics, there were no hypersensitivity reactions documented in the EMR.

Conclusion:

Stratifying ED sepsis order sets by PCN allergy history severity is a safe and effective intervention that reduces second-line antibiotics in PCN allergic patients presenting to the ED with suspected sepsis.

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofz360.1783

Comments

© The Authors 2019. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Infectious Diseases Society of America.

Abstract presented at IDWeek in Washington, DC, on October 5, 2019.

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