Pilot Study: Impact of a Pharmacist-Led 48-Hour Antibiotic Time-Out on Antibiotic Utilization and Outcome Measures in a Community Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Purpose: The objective of this study is to determine the impact of a 48-hour time-out on the utilization of targeted empiric intravenous (IV) antibiotics through a systematic approach. Methods: This is a single-center, prospective, interventional study approved by the Institutional Review Board. Study groups were stratified into a control and intervention arm. Inclusion criteria consisted of patients 18 years of age or greater, on targeted broad-spectrum IV antibiotics for more than 24 hours: daptomycin, ertapenem, meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, vancomycin. Exclusion criteria included febrile neutropenic, pregnant, critically ill, and surgical prophylactic patients. Targeted interventions made by pharmacists included: IV to oral conversions, dose optimizations/adjustments, and de-escalations. Primary endpoints were days of therapy per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000), days of therapy at risk per 1000 patient days (DOT/1000 DAR), and de-escalation rates. Results: Table 1 depicts a total 88.69% mean reduction of DOT/1000 of the intervention arm for vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and meropenem (P-value <.0001) when compared to the control arm. Table 2 depicts a total 88.86% mean reduction of DOT/1000 DAR of the intervention arm for vancomycin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and meropenem (P-value <.0001) when compared to control. Table 3 shows a 77.11% increase in total de-escalation rates (P-value = .0107) in the intervention group when compared to control group (63.52%). Conclusion: This study displays the essential role that pharmacists play in antibiotic stewardship. This study further reveals that the stewarding tool utilized contributed to significant reductions in the usage of targeted empiric intravenous antibiotics.