Description of a pharmacist-driven safety algorithm in bacteremia: Compliance, interventions, and good saves.

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a pharmacist-driven Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia (SAB) safety bundle supported by leadership and to compare compliance before and after implementation.

Design: Retrospective cohort study with descriptive and before-and-after analyses.

Setting: Tertiary-care academic medical center.

Candidemia in patients with cardiovascular implantable electronic devices.

Purpose: Current guidelines recommend complete extraction of cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) in the case of persistent or recurrent fungemia without other identifiable sources, though supporting evidence is lacking. We sought to evaluate the prognosis of patients with candidemia and CIEDs.

Methods: Twelve consecutive patients (54 ± 12 years, 8 male) with CIED and concurrent candidemia were reviewed.

Antimicrobial stewardship staffing: How much is enough?

Antimicrobial stewardship improves patient care and reduces antimicrobial resistance, inappropriate use, and adverse outcomes. Despite high-profile mandates for antimicrobial stewardship programs across the healthcare continuum, descriptive data, and recommendations for dedicated resources, including appropriate physician, pharmacist, data analytics, and administrative staffing support, are not robust. This review summarizes the current literature on antimicrobial stewardship staffing and calls for the development of minimum staffing recommendations.

Risk Factors and Outcomes Associated With Acquisition of Daptomycin and Linezolid-Nonsusceptible Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus.

Background: Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) causes substantial health care-associated infection with increasing reports of resistance to daptomycin or linezolid. We conducted a case-control study reporting 81 cases of daptomycin and linezolid-nonsusceptible VRE (DLVRE), a resistance pattern not previously reported.

Methods: We reviewed VRE isolates from June 2010 through June 2015 for nonsusceptibility to both daptomycin (minimum inhibitory concentration [MIC] > 4) and linezolid (MIC ≥ 4).

Ventilator Bundle Compliance and Risk of Ventilator-Associated Events.

OBJECTIVEVentilator bundles encompass practices that reduce the risk of ventilator complications, including ventilator-associated pneumonia. The impact of ventilator bundles on the risk of developing ventilator-associated events (VAEs) is unknown. We sought to determine whether decreased compliance to the ventilator bundle increases the risk for VAE development.