Aims
The aim of this study was to test whether a newly designed polypharmacy‐based scale would perform better than Charlson's Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict outcomes in chronic complex adult ...patients after a reference Emergency Department (ED) visit.
Methods
We built a polypharmacy‐based scale with prespecified drug families. The primary outcome was 6‐month mortality after the reference ED visit. Predefined secondary outcomes were need for hospital admission, 30‐day readmission, and 30‐day and 90‐day mortality. We evaluated the ability of the CCI and the polypharmacy‐based scale to independently predict 6‐month mortality using logistic regression, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and cumulative survival curves using Kaplan–Meier estimates and the log‐rank test for three‐category distributions of the polypharmacy‐based scale and the CCI. Finally, we sought to replicate our results in two different external validation cohorts.
Results
We included 201 patients (53.7% women, mean age = 81.4 years), 162 of whom were admitted to the hospital at the reference ED visit. In separate multivariable analyses accounting for gender, age and main diagnosis at discharge, both the polypharmacy‐based scale (P < .001) and the CCI (P = .005) independently predicted 6‐month mortality. The polypharmacy‐based scale performed better in the ROC analyses (area under the curve AUC = 0.838, 95% confidence interval CI = 0.780–0.896) than the CCI (AUC = 0.628, 95% CI = 0.548–0.707). In the 6‐month cumulative survival analysis, the polypharmacy‐based scale showed statistical significance (P < .001), whereas the CCI did not (P = .484). We replicated our results in the validation cohorts.
Conclusions
Our polypharmacy‐based scale performed significantly better than the CCI to predict 6‐month mortality in chronic complex patients after a reference ED visit.
Summary
Background/objective
Pharmaceutical care is needed in hepatitis C virus (HCV)‐infected patients treated with direct‐acting antivirals (DAA). We describe the implementation of a comprehensive ...pharmaceutical care programme (CPCP) for HCV‐infected patients treated with DAA in a tertiary‐care hospital and provide data about health outcomes and costs.
Methods
Quasi‐experimental study between 1 April 2015 and 30 June 2016. A group of hospital pharmacists collaborating on HCV infection implemented interventional measures for validation of drug prescriptions, detection of clinically relevant drug‐drug interactions and adverse drug events (ADEs), and patient education. Quality, health and cost‐effectiveness outcomes were evaluated.
Results
A total of 1070 patients were enrolled. Pharmacists made 327 interventions that led to the prevention of 299 (91.4%) medication errors, 16 of which were grade G‐H (NCC MERP classification). The main reasons for the pharmacist's intervention were management of 143 drug‐drug interactions. The overall sustained virologic response at week 12 posttreatment (SVR12) rate was 93.0% (95% CI 91.4‐94.6). The SVR12 was higher than 90.0% in all populations, except in genotype 3 patients (86.0%, 95% CI 78.7‐93.9), decompensated cirrhotic patients (81.1%, 95% CI 69.7‐92.6) and transplant recipients (86.8%, 95% CI 76.7‐96.9). ADEs occurred in 85.5% of the study patients, but only 1.0% (11 patients) experienced an ADE that led to premature discontinuation. The total cost of treatment was €18 279 225 (€17 083 per patient). The most cost‐effective treatment was selected in 93.1% of patients.
Conclusions
The implementation of a CPCP developed by hospital pharmacists in patients treated with DAAs for HCV infection is an effective approach that improves patient safety and education. The active involvement of the pharmacist in improving adherence to local guidelines promoted the selection of the most cost‐effective treatment in the majority of cases.
Summary
What is known and objectives
Inadequate management of chronic medication puts patients at risk and causes unnecessary suspension of surgical procedures. The objective of the study was to ...calculate the rate of cancellation of elective surgical procedures due to inadequate management of chronic medications and to analyse the underlying causes of cancellation.
Methods
We designed an analytic, observational, retrospective study of all elective surgical procedures performed from July to October 2017 in a tertiary hospital. The main variable was the percentage of surgeries cancelled owing to inadequate management of chronic medications. Other variables recorded included demographic characteristics, time between the preanaesthesia evaluation and surgery, drug involved, and the reason for incorrect management of the medication.
Results
During the study period, 5415 surgical procedures were programmed, and 793 (14.6%) were cancelled. Cancellations due to inadequate patient preparation accounted for 5.3% (42 cases), and 19 were related to incorrect medication management (2.4% of the total number of cancellations). The 19 patients, who were mostly men (73.7%), had a median age of 76 years (IQR 68‐81). The drugs involved were acenocoumarol (6), enoxaparin (4), clopidogrel (4), direct‐acting oral anticoagulants (2), acetylsalicylic acid (1), tocilizumab (1) and leflunomide (1). The reasons for drug mishandling were poor understanding of the anaesthesiology recommendations (15) and lack of a preanaesthesia evaluation (4).
What is new and conclusion
Inadequate management of chronic medications (2.4%) is not the most frequent reason for cancellation, although it is one of the easiest to avoid. Based on our results, starting in October 2017, the Pharmacy Department began to offer a pharmaceutical service to patients with doubts about the preoperative management of chronic medications.
793 elective surgeries were canceled between July and October 2017. 2.4% of them were related to incorrect medication management. Drugs involved were mostly anticoagulants and antiplatelet drugs.
Aim
The aim of the study was to develop and implement a protocol for the prevention and treatment of catheter related intraluminal thrombosis in a paediatric intensive care unit
Methods
A ...computerised search was carried out on MEDLINE, through PubMed, using the medical subject heading ‘central venous catheter’, ‘central venous access device’, ‘central venous line’ associated with ‘occlusion’, ‘obstruction’, ‘catheter‐related thrombosis’, ‘critically ill patients’ and ‘thrombolytic therapy’. References of reviewed articles were also searched for relevant titles as well as non‐randomised controlled trials and series of cases when no information of higher level of evidence was available.
Results
With the information gathered, a protocol for the prevention and treatment of catheter related intraluminal thrombosis was elaborated and those recommendations that best suit our environment were included. They were agreed upon by a broad panel of professionals working in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the Pharmacy Department.
Conclusions
Due to the variety of options available for the pharmacotherapeutic management of intraluminal catheter thrombosis, one measure to improve the quality of the therapy and to diminish the variability in the prescription could be the implementation of a protocol as described in this paper.
Proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitors (PCSK9i) have emerged as a therapeutic option for patients with hypercholesterolemia who do not attain low-density lipoprotein cholesterol ...(LDL-C) goals and/or are intolerant to other lipid-lowering drugs. Our aim was to analyze the effectiveness and safety of PCSK9i in routine clinical practice and factors related to poor outcomes.
We conducted an ambispective study in 115 patients who recieved alirocumab or evolocumab, in a tertiary level hospital. From February 2017 to April 2020, patients were recruited and followed up for a median of 20.4 months. The main outcomes were relative reduction in LDL-C, percentage of patients achieving the therapeutic goals established by 2016 ESC/EAS guidelines, incidence of major cardiovascular events (MACEs) and drug-related adverse events (ADRs).
The median LDL-C achieved was 57.0 mg/dL (relative reduction of 59.9% from baseline, p< 0.001). After adjusting for confounders, smaller LDL-C reductions were related to female sex, absence of concomitant lipid-lowering therapy and treatment with alirocumab. Overall, 84.6% of the patients achieved the therapeutic goals. During follow-up, 7 MACEs were detected. ADRs, generally considered mild, affected 38.1% of the participants (mainly mialgias and arthralgias) and triggered discontinuations in 8.7% of cases.
PCSK9i are effective and safe, although certain factors may influence their effectiveness. Interestingly, our results suggest that alirocumab and evolocumab may not be therapeutic equivalents, as initially suggested.
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•PCSK9 inhibitors are effective and safe agents for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia.•Male sex and concomitant lipid-lowering therapy are favorable predictors of response to PCSK9 inhibitors.•LDL-C levels by themselves may not predict cardiovascular outcomes.•Our findings support that alirocumab and evolocumab are not therapeutic equivalents, probably due to differences in dosing.
ObjectivesTo determine if an advanced medication review carried out in the emergency department (ED) increases the number of pharmacotherapy recommendations (PR) and the severity of the detected ...prescribing errors.MethodsWe designed an analytic observational prospective cohort study with preintervention assessment (PRE) and postintervention assessment (POST). In PRE, prescription review was done by pharmacists located in the pharmacy department; they took into account only the information provided by the computerised physician order entry system. In POST, pharmacists were physically present in the ED and performed an advanced medication review. The main variables were number of PR and the severity of detected prescribing errors according to the National Coordinating Council for Medication Error Reporting and Prevention (NCC MERP) severity index. Clinical variables were number of calls to physicians on duty during the first 48 hours of admission, readmissions at 30 days, visits to the ED at 30 days, inhospital mortality and length of stay.ResultsThe study population comprised 102 patients (51 in PRE and 51 in POST). In PRE, the number of PR per patient was 1.1; in POST, this value increased by 53% (1.7 PR per patient; P=0.014), especially in the case of PR related to home medications. The severity of prescribing errors was higher in POST (P=0.004). There was a trend towards better results for all clinical outcomes in POST although statistical significance was not reached.ConclusionsAn advanced medication review in the ED increases the number of PR and the severity of the detected prescribing errors.
Background
Severe non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia is a rare idiosyncratic drug reaction that is considered potentially fatal.
Objective
To report, in terms of drug safety surveillance, the ...results of an institutional strategy for NCDIN.
Method
An observational and prospective study including all adult patients who received filgrastim for the treatment of NCDIN from June 2015 to December 2017 was carried out by hematologists and clinical pharmacists.
Results
13 patients with severe NCDIN were included in the study. The median age was 51 (range 24–80) years old and 46.2% were male. Seven patients had one or more negative prognostic factors (age > 65 years, renal impairment, autoimmune diseases and/or a neutrophil count at diagnosis < 0.1 × 109 cells/L). A single drug was identified as causative in 3 patients, while in 10 cases, 2–3 drugs were considered as potentially causative. The most frequent drugs were metamizole, piperacillin/tazobactam, dexketoprofen and linezolid, among others. Seven patients developed NCDIN during their hospital stay while 6 were admitted to the emergency department. Patients were using a median of 11 drugs (IQR 8–15) at the time of diagnosis. No deaths were recorded.
Conclusion
Metamizole and piperacillin/tazobactam are the most common drugs linked to non-chemotherapy drug-induced neutropenia in our cohort.
Drug-referencing apps are among the most frequently used by emergency health professionals. To date, no study has analyzed the quantity and quality of apps that provide information on emergency ...drugs.
This study aimed to identify apps designed to assist emergency professionals in managing drugs and to describe and analyze their characteristics.
We performed an observational, cross-sectional, descriptive study of apps that provide information on drugs for adult emergency care. The iOS and Android platforms were searched in February 2021. The apps were independently evaluated by 2 hospital clinical pharmacists. We analyzed developer affiliation, cost, updates, user ratings, and number of downloads. We also evaluated the main topic (emergency drugs or emergency medicine), the number of drugs described, the inclusion of bibliographic references, and the presence of the following drug information: commercial presentations, usual dosage, dose adjustment for renal failure, mechanism of action, therapeutic indications, contraindications, interactions with other medicinal products, use in pregnancy and breastfeeding, adverse reactions, method of preparation and administration, stability data, incompatibilities, identification of high-alert medications, positioning in treatment algorithms, information about medication reconciliation, and cost.
Overall, 49 apps were identified. Of these 49 apps, 32 (65%) were found on both digital platforms; 11 (22%) were available only for Android, and 6 (12%) were available only for iOS. In total, 41% (20/49) of the apps required payment (ranging from €0.59 US $0.64 to €179.99 US $196.10) and 22% (11/49) of the apps were developed by non-health care professionals. The mean weighted user rating was 4.023 of 5 (SD 0.71). Overall, 45% (22/49) of the apps focused on emergency drugs, and 55% (27/49) focused on emergency medicine. More than half (29/47, 62%) did not include bibliographic references or had not been updated for more than a year (29/49, 59%). The median number of drugs was 66 (range 4 to >5000). Contraindications (26/47, 55%) and adverse reactions (24/47, 51%) were found in only half of the apps. Less than half of the apps addressed dose adjustment for renal failure (15/47, 32%), interactions (10/47, 21%), and use during pregnancy and breastfeeding (15/47, 32%). Only 6% (3/47) identified high-alert medications, and 2% (1/47) included information about medication reconciliation. Health-related developer, main topic, and greater amount of drug information were not statistically associated with higher user ratings (P=.99, P=.09, and P=.31, respectively).
We provide a comprehensive review of apps with information on emergency drugs for adults. Information on authorship, drug characteristics, and bibliographic references is frequently scarce; therefore, we propose recommendations to consider when developing an app of these characteristics. Future efforts should be made to increase the regulation of drug-referencing apps and to conduct a more frequent and documented review of their clinical content.
Introducción: La Nutrición Parenteral Domiciliaria (NPD) es una práctica en continuo crecimiento por las importantes ventajas que presenta para el paciente y el sistema sanitario. En la investigación ...de los resultados en salud resulta hoy en día fundamental evaluar el punto de vista del paciente. Dentro de las medidas centradas en el paciente con NPD se han realizado varios estudios sobre la calidad de vida, pero no se ha evaluado el grado de satisfacción con esta modalidad de tratamiento. Objetivos: Evaluar el grado de satisfacción de los pacientes que reciben NPD y sus cuidadores con los médicos, farmacéuticos y enfermeros de hospital. Métodos: Se repartió una encuesta anónima y que constaba de 48 preguntas cerradas a los pacientes que recibían NPD y a sus cuidadores, los cuales contestaron de forma voluntaria. Con las respuestas recogidas se creó una base de datos en el programa SPSS con las siguientes variables: datos personales, socioculturales, clínicos y relacionados con la NPD y valoración del personal sanitario implicado (área de nutrición del Servicio de Farmacia y Unidades Médica y de Enfermería de Nutrición) y de las instalaciones del hospital relacionadas con la NPD. También se incluyó un apartado de sugerencias con respuesta abierta. Resultados: Se repartieron 24 encuestas, 12 a pacientes y 12 a cuidadores. La tasa de respuesta fue un 91,7% en el caso de los pacientes y un 58,3% en los cuidadores. El 63,6% de los pacientes y el 42,9% de los cuidadores eran mujeres. La media de edad fue, respectivamente, 46,1 años (DE: 13,7) y 47,0 años (DE: 3,6). La mayoría de los pacientes (54,5%) y de los cuidadores (42,9%) tenían estudios secundarios y eran pensionistas (72,7% y 71,4%, respectivamente). Las enfermedades de base de los pacientes fueron: enteritis rádica (27,3%), obstrucción intestinal (18,2%), carcinomatosis intestinal (45,5%) y enfermedad de Crohn (9,1%). Con respecto a los ítems que evaluaban la satisfacción con médicos, enfermeros y farmacéuticos, en general tanto pacientes como cuidadores estuvieron satisfechos. Las sugerencias recogidas fueron: mayor amplitud del horario de entrega de la NPD e inclusión de información audiovisual. Conclusiones: El grado de satisfacción de los pacientes que reciben NPD y sus cuidadores con el servicio dado por médicos, enfermeros y farmacéuticos es adecuado, aunque se pueden introducir mejoras para optimizar la calidad de todo el proceso.
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