Current therapy of Clostridium difficile diarrhea (CDD) is problematic. Optimal treatment for CDD remains oral vancomycin, but there is little data on oral vancomycin dosing regimens. The objective of this C. difficile diarrhea study was to compare the efficacy of “high dose” vancomycin, 500 mg (PO) q6h, as sole treatment and in those who after 72 h failed to respond to conventional doses of oral vancomycin, 125–250 mg (PO) q6h. Hospitalized adults with CDD were evaluated by various oral vancomycin regimens, i.e., a conventional dose group (125–250 mg (PO) q6h), a “high dose escalation” dose group (250 mg → 500 mg (PO) q6h), and a “high dose” group (500 mg (PO) q6h). Oral vancomycin treatment groups were compared by time to improvement, i.e., decrease in >50% of watery stools/day and duration of therapy. The high dose escalation and high dose oral vancomycin groups showed the most rapid resolution of diarrhea. There was marked decrease in stools/day after “high dose” vancomycin escalation from conventional dosing, i.e., 250 mg (PO) q6h → 500 mg (PO) q6h. This study demonstrated that “high dose” escalation or initial high dose oral vancomycin, i.e., 500 mg (PO) q6h was the most efficacious regimen for CDD.

Hemophilia A, also known as factor VIII deficiency, is a rare disorder caused by an insufficient level of factor VIII, an essential clotting protein. Hemophilia A can be inherited or acquired. Inherited hemophilia A is caused by a mutation to the factor VIII gene on the X chromosome, which is commonly passed down from parents to children. However, in about one-third of cases, the cause is a spontaneous mutation in that gene. Acquired hemophilia A is due to an autoantibody to factor VIII, which is termed an inhibitor. This rare disorder can cause life-threatening bleeding complications. Management relies on a rapid and accurate diagnosis, control of bleeding episodes, and eradication of the inhibitor by immunosuppression therapy. Most treatment strategies are centered around anecdotal reports or small case series. This case report summarizes the successful treatment of a patient with acquired hemophilia A and major bleeding following a surgical procedure, with the use of desmopressin, recombinant factor VIIa, repeated doses of recombinant factor VIII, rituximab, and prednisone.

Background Escherichia coli is the most common cause of community-acquired bloodstream infections. Fluoroquinolones (FQ) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (TS) are preferred for oral step-down therapy due to high bioavailability. Antimicrobial stewardship programs commonly restrict FQ use, promoting consideration of non-FQ agents for treatment of sensitive organisms. We hypothesized that oral β-lactams would be non-inferior to FQ and TS with a primary outcome of 30-day all-cause readmission.MethodsThis was a retrospective non-inferiority study that reviewed electronic health records for patients with E. coli bacteremia from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2017. Exclusion criteria included hospital acquired infections, death during hospitalization and concomitant infections. Patient demographics, Pitt Bacteremia Score, Charleston Comorbidity Index, antibiotic regimen (IV/PO), and readmission were collected. Patients were divided into two groups, oral FQ/TS verses β-lactams. A pretrial noninferiority margin for the primary outcome was set at 3%. Secondary outcomes included 30-day infection and E. coli readmission. Significant risk factors for readmission were entered into a multiple logistic regression model in a forward stepwise approach using SPSS.ResultsDemographics were similar between groups, 57 patients received FQ/TS and 151 received β-lactams. The 30-day-all cause readmission rate was 15.8% and 29.1%, respectively (absolute risk difference 13.3%, CI: 1–25).β-lactams were found to be inferior to FQ/TS for 30-day all-cause readmission. readmission occurred in 5.3% of patients in the FQ/TS group verses 14.6% of patients in the β-lactam group (P = 0.07). E.coli accounted for 100% of the infection-related readmissions in the FQ/ST group and 70% in the β-lactam group. Patients who received a β-lactam antibiotic were more likely to be readmitted then those patients treated with FQ/TS (odds ratio: 2.25, CI: 0.95–5.30, P = 0.06).ConclusionStep-down therapy to oral β-lactams resulted in higher rates of 30-day all-cause and infection-related readmissions in patients with E. coli bacteremia.Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.

Background: Recent publications have confirmed that 70% of hospitalized adults with uncomplicated community-acquired pneumonia and health-care-associated pneumonia are prescribed a duration therapy that exceeds current guideline recommendations. Objective: The primary objective is to evaluate the relationship between antibiotic duration and all-cause 30-day readmission rates. Secondary outcomes include pneumonia-specific 30-day readmission rate and identification of risk factors for readmission. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years with a primary diagnosis of pneumonia from January 1, 2016, to December 31, 2016, were included in this single-center, retrospective cohort study. Patients were categorized by antibiotic therapy duration of ≤7 days (n = 139) or >7 days (n = 286), and outcomes were analyzed in both bivariate and multivariate models. A multivariate logistic regression was used to assess the relationship between all-cause 30-day readmission and antibiotic days. Results: Baseline characteristics were not significantly different between the 2 groups. All-cause 30-day readmission rates were 15.8% and 15.5% for patients who received ≤7 days versus >7 days of antibiotics, respectively ( P = .95). Pneumonia-specific 30-day readmission occurred in 3.6% of patients who received antibiotics for ≤7 days compared to 3.5% of patients who received antibiotics for >7 days ( P = .95). Multivariate logistic regression showed no statistically significant association between readmission rate and antibiotic duration of >7 days. Statistically significant risk factors for readmission identified by logistic regression include ≥3 hospital admissions within the previous year, a hematocrit <30% at discharge, a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), and weight. Conclusion: The use of prolonged antibiotic therapy for the treatment of community-onset pneumonia was not associated with a decrease in all-cause or pneumonia-specific 30-day readmission rates.