Evaluation of the Impact of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) on Unrestricted Use of Meropenem at an Academic Medical Center

Abstract

Objective The primary objectives were to evaluate the prescriber acceptance rate of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program (ASP) pharmacist recommendation to de-escalate/discontinue meropenem, and estimate the difference in duration of meropenem therapy. The secondary objective was to determine incidence of adverse events in the two groups. Methods It was a retrospective study. All patients admitted to Gwinnett Medical Center and receiving meropenem from January–November 2015 were included in the study. Exclusion criteria were: patients admitted to intensive care unit, one-time dose, infectious disease consultation, and age <18 years. Electronic medical records were reviewed for data collection. The control group consisted of patients from January–July 2015 when there was no ASP pharmacist. The intervention group consisted of patients from August–November 2015 during which period the ASP pharmacist recommended de-escalation/discontinuation of meropenem based on culture and sensitivity results. Results A total of 41 patients were studied, 21 in the control group and 20 in the intervention group. There was no significant difference in baseline characteristics in the two groups and in terms of prior hospitalization or antibiotic use (within 90 days) and documented or suspected MDRO infection at the time of admission. De-escalation/discontinuation was suggested in 16/20 patients in the intervention group (80%), and intervention was accepted in 68%. The mean duration of therapy was significantly decreased in the intervention group (5.6 days vs. 8.1 days, p =0.0175). Two patients had thrombocytopenia (unrelated to meropenem), and none of the patients had seizure. Conclusion Targeted antibiotic review is an effective ASP strategy, which significantly decreases the duration of meropenem therapy.