Objective: To review the incidence, management, and current understanding of the pathophysiology of β-lactam–induced neutropenia and to critically evaluate the practicality and safety of direct substitution to an alternative β-lactam in the setting of this reaction. Data Sources: A literature analysis using the PubMed and Ovid search engines (July 1968 to October 2020) was performed using the search terms neutropenia, leukopenia, β-lactam, nonchemotherapy, agranulocytosis, and G-CSF (granulocyte colony-stimulating factor). Study Selection and Data Extraction: The included English-language studies evaluated the incidence, mechanism, and/or management of β-lactam–induced neutropenia in pediatric or adult patients. Data Synthesis: Drug-induced neutropenia is a well-documented adverse reaction of β-lactam antibiotics, with an incidence of approximately 10% following at least 2 weeks of intravenous therapy. However, multiple gaps in knowledge remain in the mechanism of pathophysiology and optimal management of this reaction. Both direct toxic and immune-mediated mechanisms have been implicated. Although the cornerstone of management includes cessation of the offending agent, controversy exists on the appropriateness of direct substitution or future use of an alternative β-lactam. Relevance to Patient Care and Clinical Practice: Given the frequency of use and superiority of β-lactams over alternative therapy for several infectious disease states, practical recommendations are needed on the management and safe use of β-lactams following β-lactam–induced neutropenia. Conclusion: Future use of β-lactams with differing R1 side chains, particularly those from a separate class, should not be deemed contraindicated following β-lactam–induced neutropenia and may be considered when indicated, with close laboratory monitoring.

SummaryWhat is known and objective: With the advent of antiretroviral therapy and the resultant decrease in mortality among adults living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), there is now an increased incidence of obesity and obesity-related comorbidities in these patients. Bariatric surgery is becoming an increasingly common Results: Several case series and case reports have been published which demonstrate minimal risk of complications and maintenance of virologic suppression in the vast majority of patients. Bariatric surgery appears to be an effective mechanism for assistance in controlling obesity in patients infected with HIV; however, numerous factors may impact the safe and effective use of antiretroviral therapy.

Summary Background Automatic stop orders (ASOs) for antimicrobials have been recommended as a component of antimicrobial stewardship programs, but may result in unintentional treatment interruption due to failure of providers to re-order an antimicrobial medication. We examined the impact of a multifaceted intervention designed to reduce the potential harms of interrupting antimicrobial treatment due to ASOs. Methods An intervention was implemented that included pharmacist review of expiring antimicrobials as well as provider education to encourage use of a long-term antimicrobial order set for commonly used prophylactic antimicrobials. Pharmacist interventions and antimicrobial re-ordering was recorded. Percent of missed doses of a commonly used prophylactic antimicrobial, single strength co-trimoxazole, was compared pre- and post-intervention using a chi-squared test. Results From November 1, 2015 to November 30, 2016, there were 401 individual pharmacist interventions for antimicrobial ASOs, resulting in 295 instances of antimicrobial re-ordering. The total percent of presumed missed single strength co-trimoxazole doses was reduced from 8.4% to 6.2% post-intervention ( P <0.001). Conclusions This study found that a targeted intervention was associated with a reduction in unintended antimicrobial treatment interruption related to ASOs.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) requiring intermittent hemodialysis (IHD) are at increased risk of infection, which represents a leading cause of mortality in this population. The use of additional vascular access devices such as peripherally inserted central catheters to treat such infections should be minimized in patients with ESRD requiring IHD in order to mitigate complications such as infection and thrombosis and to maintain venous patency for hemodialysis access. Intravenous antimicrobial dosing following IHD has the advantages of avoiding additional access devices and providing convenience for patients and providers. Vancomycin, cefazolin, and aminoglycosides have historically been regarded as the primary intravenous antimicrobials administered with IHD given their relatively low cost, convenient dosing, and longevity of clinical use. Despite this, a growing body of literature is evaluating the use of an expanded list of antimicrobials that may be employed using post-dialysis dosing for patients requiring IHD; however, the available data are largely limited to pharmacokinetic studies and small cohorts of infected patients or uninfected subjects. Post-dialytic dosing of intravenous antimicrobials may be considered on a patient-by-patient basis after careful consideration of clinical, microbiological, and logistical factors that may influence the probability of treatment success. This document reviews and evaluates currently available information on the post-dialytic administration of an expanded list of intravenous antimicrobials in the setting of thrice-weekly, high-flux IHD.

BackgroundAdverse drug events are associated with an increase in hospital stay and cost. Risks from these events are minimized by adjusting a medication’s dose or frequency, and changes in renal function may necessitate adjustments. Currently, there is no formal procedure for a prospective audit of renal function over the weekend at our institution. This pharmacist-driven initiative will evaluate if a prospective review identified by real-time clinical decision support alerts over the weekend will reduce the time from change in renal function to dose adjustment of select antimicrobials and/or anticoagulants.MethodsThis monitoring initiative is comprised of a pre- and post-cohort population. The pre-cohort population included patients admitted to Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC) from January to March of 2018 on select antimicrobials and/or anticoagulants, who were identified to have a change in renal function (serum creatinine change of 0.3 mg/dL or greater) over the weekend. The post-cohort population was identified with a clinical decision support system (ILÚM Health Solutions, Kenilworth, NJ) and included patients admitted to PPMC from January to March of 2019. A pharmacy resident reviewed alerts in the clinical decision support system over the weekend and contacted providers with dose adjustment recommendations. The Mann–Whitney U test was used to analyze the primary endpoint while descriptive statistics were used for the secondary endpointsResultsEighteen interventions were completed within the 3-month post-cohort intervention period, with a time to dose adjustment between the pre/post-cohort being reduced by 50 hours (P = 0.0001) resulting in a median time to change of 11 hours in the post-cohort. All pharmacy recommendations were accepted by the provider, and 94% of medication adjustments were antimicrobials.ConclusionThe application of this prospective weekend initiative utilizing a clinical decision support system demonstrated a clinically and statistically significant reduction in the time to dose adjustments for antimicrobials and/or anticoagulants. Implementation of this initiative will further establish a role for pharmacist-led evaluations and could potentially be expanded to other clinical areas.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.