The increase in severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) cases due to the omicron strain led to reduced acute care hospital beds at the Veterans Administration (VA) Hospital, North Texas; veterans with non-severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease were managed at a community living center (CLC), a VA nursing home. The management of non-severe COVID-19 in VA nursing homes has not been extensively described.

We describe resident characteristics and outcomes, and infection control practices implemented during 2 COVID-19 outbreak periods (January 12–February 15, 2022, June 28–July 14, 2023). Serial testing of all CLC residents was conducted, and residents with polymerase chain reaction-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection were included in the analysis. Resident data were ascertained from the COVID-19 facility dashboard and medical record system.

From January 12 to February 15, 2022, and June 28–July 14, 2023, 62 adults residing at the CLC were diagnosed with COVID-19. Overall, the median age was 75 years [interquartile range, 71–80], and 57 (91.9%) were men. Residents were cohorted by COVID-19 test results. A multidisciplinary team was convened, and staff were fit tested for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and received refresher training on hand hygiene, donning, and doffing of PPE. Thirty-seven (59.7%) residents were symptomatic. Overall, 55 (88.7%) residents were documented to have received the SARS-CoV-2 primary vaccination series. Most residents were managed at the CLC, while 12 (19.3%) were hospitalized in acute care.

It is feasible to manage high-risk residents with non-severe COVID-19 disease in a CLC utilizing a multidisciplinary approach and implementing Infection Prevention and Control strategies.

The present study aimed to describe ICU antibiotic use based on data reported from 2009 to 2018 to the Nosocomial Surveillance System (NSS) of the State Health Department in the State of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Ecological study.

Data obtained from hospitals located in the state of São Paulo, Brazil from 2009 to 2018.

Intensive care units located at participant hospitals.

Data on healthcare-associated infections, antibiotic usage, and bacterial identification were collected and reported monthly by hospitals. Antibiotic consumption was quantified as defined daily doses (DDD) per 1000 patient-days. The relationship between antibiotic use and bacterial resistance, categorized by hospital type and ICU complexity, was analyzed using statistical methods to assess correlations and significance.

Our findings reveal an escalating trend in antibiotic consumption over the study period, with a notable increase from 588.16 DDD per 1000 patient-days in the initial year to 943.12 DDD/1000 patient-days in the final year (p < 0.01). Cephalosporins emerged as the most frequently utilized class, accounting for 33.9% of total antibiotic consumption. Public hospitals exhibited significantly higher antibiotic use compared to private and philanthropic institutions, with a mean of 889.11 DDD/1000 patient-days in public hospitals compared to 849.07 DDD/1000 patient-days in private hospitals and 785.12 DDD/1000 patient-days in philanthropic hospitals (p < 0.05).

The study provides critical insights into antibiotic use and resistance in different hospital settings, emphasizing the importance of tailored antimicrobial stewardship strategies.

Social media has become an important tool in monitoring infectious disease outbreaks such as coronavirus disease 2019 and highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI). Influenced by the recent announcement of a possible human death from H5N2 avian influenza, we analyzed tweets collected from X (formerly Twitter) to describe the messaging regarding the HPAI outbreak, including mis- and dis-information, concerns, and health education.

We collected tweets involving keywords relating to HPAI for 5 days (June 04 to June 08, 2024). Using topic modeling, emotion, sentiment, and user demographic analyses, we were able to describe the population and the HPAI-related topics that users discussed.

With an original pool of 14,796 tweets, we analyzed a final data set of 13,319 tweets from 10,421 unique X users, with 50.4% of the tweets exhibiting negative sentiments (< 0 on a scale of −4 to +4). Predominant emotions were anger and fear shown in 36.4% and 29.5% of tweets, respectively. We identified 5 distinct, descriptive topics within the tweets. The use of emotionally charged language and spread of misinformation were substantial.

Mis- and dis-information about the causes of and ways to prevent HPAI infections were common. A large portion of the tweets contained references to a planned epidemic or “plandemic” to influence the upcoming 2024 US presidential election. These tweets were countered by a limited number of tweets discussing infection locations, case reports, and preventive measures. Our study can be used by public health officials and clinicians to influence the discourse on current and future outbreaks.

In June of 2024, Becton Dickinson experienced a blood culture bottle shortage for their BACTEC system, forcing health systems to reduce usage or risk exhausting their supply. Virginia Commonwealth University Health System (VCUHS) in Richmond, VA decided that it was necessary to implement austerity measures to preserve the blood culture bottle supply.

VCUHS includes a main campus in Richmond, VA as well as two affiliate hospitals in South Hill, VA (Community Memorial Hospital (CMH)) and Tappahannock Hospital in Tappahannock, VA. It also includes a free-standing Emergency Department in New Kent, VA.

Blood cultures from both pediatric and adult patients were included in this study.

VCUHS intervened to decrease blood culture utilization across the entire health system. Interventions included communication of blood culture guidance as well as an electronic health record order designed to guide providers and discourage wasteful ordering.

Post-implementation analyses showed that interventions reduced overall usage by 35.6% (P < .0001) and by greater than 40% in the Emergency Departments. The impact of these changes in utilization on positivity were analyzed, and it was found that the overall positivity rate increased post-intervention from 8.8% to 12.1% (P = .0115) and in the ED specifically from 10.2% to 19.5% (P < .0001).

These findings strongly suggest that some basic stewardship interventions can significantly change blood culture practice in a manner that minimizes the impact on patient care.

This study aimed to evaluate appropriate antimicrobial prescribing after implementing a pneumonia order set within a community teaching hospital.

Retrospective chart review study.

450-bed community teaching hospital.

Patients who are 18 years of age or older admitted for treatment of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) between October 1, 2021, and August 1, 2023.

This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate a composite endpoint of appropriate empiric antimicrobial selection, dosing, and duration in accordance with the national guidelines after the implementation of a CAP order set. Secondary outcomes included comparing hospital length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, mortality rates, and Clostridium difficile infection rates.

A total of 236 patients were included (118 patients per group). Significantly more patients in the post-implementation group received guideline-concordant therapy for CAP (5.9% vs 35.6%, P < .001). Results were heavily influenced by improvements in appropriate durations of therapy (pre: 6.8% vs post: 39.9%, P < .001). There were no significant differences observed for LOS, 30-day readmission rates, C. difficile infections within 30 days, or mortality rates between groups. The order set was utilized in 66.1% of patients included in the post-implementation group.

Implementing an order set significantly improved inpatient antibiotic prescribing for CAP with no difference in clinical or safety outcomes. Antibiotic order sets will be a useful tool for antimicrobial stewardship program expansion into other common community-acquired infections.

Successfully educating urgent care patients on appropriate use and risks of antibiotics can be challenging. We assessed the conscious and subconscious impact various educational materials (informational handout, priming poster, and commitment poster) had on urgent care patients’ knowledge and expectations regarding antibiotics.

Stratified Block Randomized Control Trial.

Urgent care centers (UCCs) in Colorado, Florida, Georgia, and New Jersey.

Urgent care patients.

We randomized 29 UCCs across six study arms to display specific educational materials (informational handout, priming poster, and commitment poster). The primary intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis evaluated whether the materials impacted patient knowledge or expectations of antibiotic prescribing by assigned study arm. The secondary as-treated analysis evaluated the same outcome comparing patients who recalled seeing the assigned educational material and patients who either did not recall seeing an assigned material or were in the control arm.

Twenty-seven centers returned 2,919 questionnaires across six study arms. Only 27.2% of participants in the intervention arms recalled seeing any educational materials. In our primary ITT analysis, no difference in knowledge or expectations of antibiotic prescribing was noted between groups. However, in the as-treated analysis, the handout and commitment poster were associated with higher antibiotic knowledge scores.

Educational materials in UCCs are associated with increased antibiotic-related knowledge among patients when they are seen and recalled; however, most patients do not recall passively displayed materials. More emphasis should be placed on creating and drawing attention to memorable patient educational materials.

This qualitative study aimed to understand facilitators and barriers to implementation of interventions to improve guideline-concordant antibiotic duration prescribing for pediatric acute otitis media (AOM).

Clinicians and clinic administrators participated in semi-structured qualitative interviews, and parents of children 2 years of age or older with a recent diagnosis of AOM participated in focus groups. The Practical Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM) guided the study. Interviews were analyzed using the Rapid Assessment Process.

Denver Health and Hospital Authority (Denver, CO) led the study. Recruitment occurred at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (Nashville, TN) and Washington University in St. Louis Medical Center (St. Louis, MO).

Purposeful sampling was used to recruit clinicians and administrators for qualitative interviews. Convenience sampling was used to recruit parents for focus groups.

Thirty-one participants (15 clinicians, 4 administrators, and 12 parents) engaged in interviews and focus groups. Factors influencing antibiotic prescribing included patient history, years of practice, familiarity with the patient, concerns with patient medication adherence, and practice type. Clinicians endorsed electronic health record modifications and clinician prescribing feedback as methods to improve patient care and reduce the durations of prescribed antibiotics. Suggestions for intervention optimization and education needs were also obtained.

Findings suggest that clinicians and administrators support reducing prescribed antibiotic durations for AOM and are receptive to the proposed interventions. More education is needed to increase parent awareness about antibiotic stewardship and AOM treatment options.

RELAX: Reducing Length of Antibiotics for Children with Ear Infections (RELAX), NCT05608993, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05608993.