Background: Beta-lactam allergies (BLAs) are common in hospitalized patients, including transplant recipients. BLA is associated with decreased use of preferred surgical site infection (SSI) prophylaxis and increased SSIs, but this has not been studied in the transplant population. Methods:We reviewed adult heart, kidney, and liver transplant recipients between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2019 to characterize reported BLA and collect SSI prophylaxis regimens at time of transplant. We compared the use of preferred SSI prophylaxis and SSI incidence based on reported BLA status. Post hoc we collected antibiotic days of therapy (DOT) (excluding pneumocystis prophylaxis) in the 30-day period posttransplant for patients without SSI. We utilized descriptive statistics for comparisons. Results:Of 691 patients included (116 heart, 400 kidney, and 175 liver transplant recipients), 118 (17%) reported BLA. Rash and hives were the two most reported BLA reactions (36% and 24%), categorized as potential T-cell mediated and IgE mediated, respectively. Preferred SSI prophylaxis was prescribed in 13 (11%) patients with BLA and 573 (92%) without BLA (p < .001). No difference could be detected in SSI incidence between BLA and non-BLA patients (4.2 vs. 4.3%, p = 1.0). Of 659 without SSI, 169 (25.6%) received antibiotics within 30 days of transplant; mean antibiotic DOT for BLA and non-BLA patients were 3.5 ± 8.0 versus 2.3 ± 5.8, p = .12. Conclusion:BLA transplant recipients received nonpreferred SSI prophylaxis more frequently than non-BLA recipients, but there was no difference in 30-day SSIs between the groups. One-fourth of solid organ transplant recipients received systemic antibiotics within 30 days of transplant.

Background Antibiotic overuse increases healthcare cost and promotes antimicrobial resistance. People with HIV (PWH) who develop acute respiratory infections (ARI) may be assumed “higher risk,” compared with non-PWH, but comparative antibiotic use evaluations have not been performed. Methods This observational, single-center study compared antibiotic prescribing in independent clinical encounters for PWH and non-PWH diagnosed with ARI in outpatient clinical practices using ICD 10 codes between January 1, 2014 and April 30, 2018. Fisher’s exact test compared categorical variables with antibiotic prescribing patterns. Results There were 209 patients in the PWH cohort vs. 398 patients in the non-PWH cohort. PWH had median CD4+ count of 610 cells/mm3 with 91% on antiretroviral therapy and 78% were virally suppressed. Thirty-seven percent of all visits resulted in an antibiotic prescription, 89% were inappropriate. Antibiotics were prescribed more frequently in non-PWH (35% PWH vs. 40% non-PWH; p 0.172) and managed according to guidelines more often in PWH (37% PWH vs. 30% non-PWH; p 0.039). Antibiotics were prescribed appropriately most frequently in PWH managed by HIV clinicians (29% PWH managed by HIV clinician vs. 12% PWH managed by non-HIV clinician vs. 8% non-PWH p 0.010). HIV clinicians prescribed antibiotics for a mean duration of 5.9 days vs. PWH managed by a non-HIV clinician for 9.1 days vs. non-PWH for 7.6 days (p &lt;0.0001). Conclusion Outpatient antibiotic overuse remains prevalent among patients evaluated for ARI. We found less frequent inappropriate antibiotic use in PWH. Prescriber specialty, rather than HIV diagnosis, was related to appropriateness of antimicrobial prescribing.