Healing soles: a microbiology-driven electronic health record-algorithm and order set to decrease antipseudomonal use in diabetic foot infections, a retrospective, observational, quasi-experimental study.

Background: Antipseudomonal antibiotics are commonly prescribed for diabetic foot infections (DFI) at our institution despite a low local prevalence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A multidisciplinary team implemented a DFI electronic health record (EHR)-embedded treatment algorithm and order set.

Methods: This multi-center, quasi-experimental study evaluated adults on antibiotics admitted for DFI to vascular surgery or medical units pre- and post-implementation of an EHR-embedded treatment algorithm and order set. Exclusion criteria: duplicate patients, concomitant infection, transfer from an outside hospital. Primary endpoint: antipseudomonal use among included patients (DOT/1000 DFI days present). Secondary outcomes: empiric antipseudomonal use, length of stay, 30-day readmission, mortality, amputation, and Clostridioides difficile infection. Patient demographics, diagnostics, treatments, and outcomes were evaluated.

Results: Two hundred ten patients were included with 70 patients included in each group. The post-algorithm group had lower antipseudomonal DOT/1000 DFI days present compared to the pre-intervention group (360 vs 503, P < 0.001). The post-order set group had the lowest antipseudomonal use (347 vs 503, P < 0.001). Empiric antipseudomonal use decreased from 85.7% pre-intervention to 72% post-algorithm and 68.5% post-order set. Collectively, 30-day mortality was < 5%. Amputation during and within 30 days of hospitalization was similar in the pre-intervention (48.6%), post-algorithm (30%), and post-order set (41.4%) groups. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus spp. were most frequently isolated. Wound cultures were not collected in 24.3%, 22.9%, and 40% of the pre-intervention, post-algorithm, and post-order set group.

Conclusions: EHR-embedded clinical decision-making tools reduce antipseudomonal use for DFI treatment without increasing 30-day mortality or amputation.