Impact of an institution-specific hospital-acquired pneumonia protocol on the appropriateness of antibiotic therapy and patient outcomes.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the impact of a hospital-acquired pneumonia (HAP) protocol on appropriateness of empiric antibiotic therapy, antibiotic deescalation, antibiotic duration, patient mortality, and length of stay.


METHODS
Before- and after-study of protocol implementation.


METHODS
A 450-bed, academic medical center.


METHODS
One hundred consecutive patients with proven or suspected HAP.


METHODS
Implementation of an HAP protocol that was based on the 2005 American Thoracic Society-Infectious Diseases Society of America guidelines and included extensive education of clinicians and monitoring by pharmacists.


RESULTS
Before protocol implementation, 50 patients with HAP were evaluated against protocol criteria. After protocol implementation, a second cohort of 50 patients with HAP was evaluated. Compared with the preprotocol group, implementation of the protocol led to an increase in both the proportion of patients who received appropriate empiric antibiotic coverage (17 [34%] vs 31 [62%] patients, p=0.005) and appropriate antibiotic deescalation (21 [42%] vs 36 [72%] patients, p=0.002) according to protocol recommendations but did not affect the appropriateness of empiric antibiotic therapy based on final lung culture data (34 [68%] vs 41 [82%] patients, p=0.11). Compared with the preprotocol group, use of the protocol decreased the duration of intravenous antibiotic therapy (median [range] 9 [2-21] vs 7 [1-16] days, p=0.024), was associated with a trend for a shorter duration of stay in the intensive care unit (median [range] 19 [2-57] vs 11 [3-76] days, p=0.065), and did not significantly affect mortality (5 [10%] vs 8 [16%] patients, p=0.37). Pharmacists performed 59 interventions to support the protocol in 29 patients in the postprotocol group, of which 48% were accepted.


CONCLUSIONS
Implementation of an HAP protocol improved appropriate empiric antibiotic use and decreased the duration of antibiotic therapy without adversely affecting patient outcomes.
Lancaster
Jason W
JW
Northeastern University School of Pharmacy, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Lawrence
Kenneth R
KR
Fong
Jeffrey J
JJ
Doron
Shira I
SI
Garpestad
Erik
E
Nasraway
Stan A
SA
Devlin
John W
JW
D000046:Academic Medical Centers; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002985:Clinical Protocols; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006745:Hospital Bed Capacity, 300 to 499; D006801:Humans; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010607:Pharmacy Service, Hospital; D018410:Pneumonia, Bacterial / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents