Diagnostic testing and antibiotic utilization among inpatients evaluated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia.

We evaluated diagnostic test and antibiotic utilization among 252 patients from 11 US hospitals who were evaluated for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pneumonia during the severe acute respiratory coronavirus virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) omicron variant pandemic wave. In our cohort, antibiotic use remained high (62%) among SARS-CoV-2-positive patients and even higher among those who underwent procalcitonin testing (68%).

The impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist workforce: A multicenter survey.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required healthcare systems and hospitals to rapidly modify standard practice, including antimicrobial stewardship services. Our study examines the impact of COVID-19 on the antimicrobial stewardship pharmacist.

Design: A survey was distributed nationally to all healthcare improvement company members.

Impact of early antimicrobial stewardship intervention in patients with positive blood cultures: results from a randomized comparative study.

Background: Antimicrobial stewardship intervention (ASI) appears to be necessary to realize the full benefits of rapid diagnostic technologies in clinical practice. This study aimed to compare clinical outcomes between early ASI paired with matrix-associated laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) compared with MALDI-TOF with standard of care (SOC) reporting in patients with positive blood cultures.

Methods: Adult patients with positive blood cultures and organism speciation via MALDI-TOF admitted between February 2015 and September 2015 were randomized to ASI or SOC in a 1:1 fashion.

Decreasing incidence of pneumonia and trends in antibiotic consumption: A single-center retrospective observational study.

Objective: To describe the epidemiology of (AB) pneumonia at our center, including the antibiotic exposure patterns of individual AB pneumonia cases and to investigate whether hospital-wide antibiotic consumption trends were associated with trends in AB pneumonia incidence.

Design: Single-center retrospective study with case-control and ecological components.

Setting: US private tertiary-care hospital.

Pharmacist intervention on prescribing errors: Use of a standardized approach in the inpatient setting.

Purpose: The objective of this study was to implement a standardized process across health systems to determine the prevalence and clinical relevance of prescribing errors intercepted by pharmacists.

Methods: This prospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted across 11 hospitals. Pharmacist-intercepted prescribing errors were collected during inpatient order verification over 6 consecutive weeks utilizing a standardized documentation process.