A randomised evaluation of an antibiotic allergy assessment tool for supporting penicillin allergy de‐labelling by non‐allergists

Author(s):  
Rhys Owens ◽  
Jonathan Sandoe ◽  
Andrew F Whyte ◽  
Michael Wilcock ◽  
Robert West ◽  
...  
BJS Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rhys Owens ◽  
Jonathan Sandoe ◽  
Andrew Whyte ◽  
Robert West ◽  
Mandy Slatter ◽  
...  

Abstract Background False penicillin allergy labels can be potentially hazardous to patients. Most penicillin allergy labels can be safely removed following risk stratification and formal drug challenge. These de-labelling strategies have been limited to specialist allergy and infectious disease services. Aims To determine whether non-allergy specialist health-care workers can use an antibiotic allergy assessment tool (AAAT) to correctly phenotype and manage reported penicillin allergy. Method Non-allergy health-care workers in three UK hospital were emailed online questionnaires and asked to assign the allergy phenotype and management recommendation for eight vignettes of real cases reporting a penicillin allergy using the AAAT. In one hospital participants were randomised into two groups: one group was directed to use the AAAT whilst the second group had no decision tool. Participants were assigned an average score for correct allergy phenotype, management and a major error rate. Results Use of the AAAT across the eight vignettes significantly improved the average score for assigning correct phenotype (6.7 vs 5.2 p < 0.001), management choice (7.1 vs 5.7 p < 0.001), and major error rate (0.6 vs 1.6 p < 0.001). Participant performance with the AAAT was generalizable across all three hospitals. Despite use of the AAAT 35-40% of participants made at least one major error. Conclusion The AAAT significantly improved health worker performance in phenotyping and choosing correct management for reported penicillin. However, even with the AAAT, there remains a risk of potentially hazardous management choices highlighting the need for formal allergy training to expand penicillin allergy assessment services.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S350-S350
Author(s):  
Dorothy Ling ◽  
Jessica Seidelman ◽  
Elizabeth Dodds Ashley ◽  
Angelina Davis ◽  
April Dyer ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Antibiotic allergy labels lead to excess exposure to broad-spectrum antibiotics and can result in patient harm. We aimed to describe the prevalence of penicillin allergy labels (PAL) across a variety of hospital settings and its association with carbapenem exposure. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of inpatient admissions from 14 hospitals in the Duke Antimicrobial Stewardship Outreach Network (DASON) and Duke Health System from 2016 to 2018. Data were collected from the DASON central database which is derived from electronic health record extracts. PAL was defined from drug allergy documentation indicating any reaction to penicillin or its related agents, but did not include labels for other β-lactam agents (e.g., cephalosporin). Carbapenem exposure was defined as a binary variable indicating receipt of at least one dose of meropenem, ertapenem, doripenem or imipenem on an inpatient unit. The association between PAL and carbapenem exposure was assessed using multivariable logistical regression with candidate covariates including age, gender, comorbidity score, and exposure to intensive care or hematology/oncology unit. Hospital-level PAL prevalence was defined as the percentage of inpatient admissions. Hospital-level carbapenem use rates were assessed as days of therapy (DOT) per 1000 patient-days and stratified by PAL to understand the portion of use associated with PAL. Results Of the 727,168 admissions included in this study, 84,033 (11.6%) patients had a PAL. The majority of admissions with documented PAL were in patients >65 years old (47.9%, n = 40,240) and female (57.8%, n = 418,472). PAL was associated with a 2-fold higher risk of receipt of carbapenem (adjusted odds ratio 2.13, 95% CI 0.89–2.40, P < 0.0001). PAL prevalence varied among hospitals (median 14%, range 5–20%). Hospitals with antibiotic allergy-focused stewardship programs (ASP) had a similar PAL prevalence (median 13.8 vs. 15.9%, P = 0.08), but the percent of carbapenem DOT used in patients with PAL was similar (median 23% vs. 24%, P = 0.6). Conclusion PAL was associated with increased carbapenem exposure on the patient level. Allergy-focused ASP activities may affect PAL but it is unclear whether it reduces carbapenem use based on these observational data. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2018 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 243-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryan G. Shaw ◽  
Inela Masic ◽  
Nancy Gorgi ◽  
Niree Kalfayan ◽  
Elise M. Gilbert ◽  
...  

Background: Many patients with a self-reported penicillin allergy go on to tolerate beta-lactam antibiotics. Allergy specialists may be consulted to determine the nature and extent of the allergy. However, electronic allergy records must be appropriately updated such that recommendations are carried forward. Objective: To determine the percentage of patients who have their electronic allergy record updated after an allergy service consult (ASC). Methods: This was a retrospective study of patients with at least 1 documented beta-lactam allergy and had an ASC during (inpatient) or prior to (outpatient) hospital admission at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Results: Within the study period, a total of 26 526 patients were identified as having a documented antibiotic allergy, with 21 657 patients (81.6% of patients with allergies) having a listed beta-lactam allergy. Of these patients, 1689 (7.8%) patients were identified as having an ASC during or prior to admission, with 598 patients meeting inclusion criteria. Changes in the allergy record were recommended by the ASC for 62% (n = 371) of patients; however, the allergy record was updated after the ASC in 74.9% (n = 278) of patients. Conclusion: ASC recommendations to delabel a patient as beta-lactam allergic must result in updating the allergy record in order to optimize future treatment. Given the low proportion of allergy-labeled patients tested, programs outside formal ASCs should be considered.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (suppl_1) ◽  
pp. S341-S342
Author(s):  
Florian Daragjati ◽  
David Silver ◽  
Roy Guharoy ◽  
Clariecia Groves ◽  
Danielle Sebastian ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Penicillin allergy is the most common antibiotic allergy noted within medical records, and its inaccurate reporting leads to increased use of alternative antibiotics that may be less effective, broader in spectrum, more toxic, and costly. Methods We retrospectively reviewed the reported allergies to penicillin in patients cared for at 13 hospitals within one health system over a 3 month period (June-August 2016). The data were abstracted from the electronic medical records on penicillin allergy status for both inpatient and outpatient visits. Hospitals were compared on their use of systemic antibiotics for inpatients. The proportions of total defined daily doses (DDD) for quinolones, aztreonam, carbapenems, cephalosporins, and penicillins were compared. Spearman’s rank and Pearson’s correlation were used to evaluate the strength of the relation between increased penicillin allergy reported and the use of the different antibiotic classes. Results 23,290 of 169,912 (13.7%; range 8%–20%) patients from 13 hospitals were reported penicillin allergic. There was a strong correlation between the proportion of patients with penicillin allergy and quinolone use (rho=0.77; P = 0.002; Figure 1), cephalosporins excluding fourth-generation (r=0.70; P = 0.007; Figure 2), and a weaker correlation with carbapenem use (rho=0.52; P = 0.168) and aztreonam (r=0.53; P = 0.06). On the other hand, penicillins had a moderate negative correlation (r=-0.58; P = 0.036; Figure 3), and extended spectrum penicillins had a strong negative correlation (r=-0.72; P &lt; 0.005). Fourth-generation cephalosporin use did not correlate with the penicillin allergy rate (rho=-0.03; P = 0.92). Conclusion Reported penicillin allergy varies between hospitals and higher reported allergy is associated with more quinolone and cephalosporin use, and less use of penicillin-based regimens. Adequate documentation of penicillin allergy may promote the choice of more optimal regimens when treating patients. Disclosures All authors: No reported disclosures.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S677-S678
Author(s):  
Justin B Searns ◽  
Amy Stein ◽  
Christine MacBrayne ◽  
Tara Sarin ◽  
Taylor Lin ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Over 90% of children with reported penicillin allergy can tolerate penicillin without incident. Developing effective and safe strategies to remove inappropriate penicillin allergies has the potential to improve care; however, guidance on how to identify, test, and delabel patients is limited. Methods In April 2019, Children’s Hospital Colorado (CHCO) implemented a penicillin allergy clinical pathway (CP) alongside a risk assessment tool to stratify patients based on allergic history (Figure 1). Patients at “no increased risk” were educated and delabeled without testing. Low risk patients were offered an oral amoxicillin drug challenge with close observation. A single, non-graded, treatment dose of amoxicillin (45 mg/kg, max dose 1000mg) was used for low risk patients, and no preceding allergic skin testing was performed. Patients with no signs or symptoms of allergic response 60 minutes after amoxicillin administration were delabeled. Children delabeled of penicillin allergies on the CHCO hospital medicine service were compared between the pre-CP (1/1/17-3/31/19) and post-CP (4/1/19-3/31/20) cohorts. Figure 1. Penicillin Allergy Risk Assessment Results Pre-CP, 683/10624 (6.4%) patients reported a penicillin allergy and 18/683 (2.6%) were delabeled by discharge. Post-CP, 345/6559 (5.3%) patients reported a penicillin allergy and 47/345 (13.6%) were delabeled by discharge (P-value &lt; 0.0001, Figure 2). Among the 47 post-CP patients, 11 were delabeled by history alone, 19 underwent oral amoxicillin drug challenge per CP, and 17 received a different treatment dose penicillin per treatment team. Only one penicillin-exposed patients had a reaction. This patient developed a delayed, non-progressive rash and had penicillin allergy restored to their chart. No patient required emergency medical intervention, and none were “relabeled” penicillin allergic in the 6 months following discharge. Figure 2. Monthly Rate of Penicillin Allergic Patients Delabeled by Discharge Conclusion A drug challenge using a single non-graded dose of oral amoxicillin is a safe and effective strategy to delabel low risk children of inappropriate penicillin allergies when implemented alongside a risk assessment tool. Further studies are needed to evaluate the long-term benefits of delabeling inappropriate penicillin allergies and to continue monitoring for adverse events. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2005 ◽  
Vol 84 (4) ◽  
pp. 232-236
Author(s):  
Rakesh K. Chandra ◽  
Collin E. Lee ◽  
Harold Pelzer

We noticed a seemingly high prevalence of penicillin allergy in patients who had been diagnosed with peritonsillar abscess (PTA) at our institution. To formally investigate this observation, we reviewed the emergency room (ER) records of 118 patients who had presented between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 31, 1999, with suspected PTA. A diagnosis of PTA was confirmed by the presence of pus on incision and drainage in 78 of these patients (66.1%). The remaining 40 patients (33.9%) were diagnosed with peritonsillar cellulitis (PTC). Of the 7 8 patients with confirmed PTA, 13 (16.7%) self-reported an allergy to an antibiotic, including 11 (14.1%) who claimed to be allergic to penicillin. In the 40 patients with PTC, the corresponding figures were only 3 (7.5%) and 1 (2.5%). The difference between the PTA and PTC groups with respect to the prevalence of self reported penicillin allergy was statistically significant (p < 0.05). We also compared the prevalence of antibiotic allergies in our patients with that of 1,893 consecutively presenting patients whose records had been entered into a pharmacy database at our institution. We found that the overall prevalence of patient-reported penicillin allergy in our PTA group was similar to that of the database population, although penicillin allergy did account for a greater percentage of all antibiotic allergies (84.6%) in our PTA group than in the larger population (62.8%). In our series, patients with PTA were more likely to have reported an allergy to penicillin than were patients without an abscess. Additionally, the prevalence of patient-reported antibiotic allergy is high at our institution. Although self-reported penicillin allergy may not represent a true hypersensitivity reaction, it can influence antibiotic selection and/or compliance. Prospective studies are needed to determine what influence allergic status and antibiotic choice has on abscess development.


2020 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 1071-1082
Author(s):  
Theresa Schölderle ◽  
Elisabet Haas ◽  
Wolfram Ziegler

Purpose The aim of this study was to collect auditory-perceptual data on established symptom categories of dysarthria from typically developing children between 3 and 9 years of age, for the purpose of creating age norms for dysarthria assessment. Method One hundred forty-four typically developing children (3;0–9;11 [years;months], 72 girls and 72 boys) participated. We used a computer-based game specifically designed for this study to elicit sentence repetitions and spontaneous speech samples. Speech recordings were analyzed using the auditory-perceptual criteria of the Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scales, a standardized German assessment tool for dysarthria in adults. The Bogenhausen Dysarthria Scales (scales and features) cover clinically relevant dimensions of speech and allow for an evaluation of well-established symptom categories of dysarthria. Results The typically developing children exhibited a number of speech characteristics overlapping with established symptom categories of dysarthria (e.g., breathy voice, frequent inspirations, reduced articulatory precision, decreased articulation rate). Substantial progress was observed between 3 and 9 years of age, but with different developmental trajectories across different dimensions. In several areas (e.g., respiration, voice quality), 9-year-olds still presented with salient developmental speech characteristics, while in other dimensions (e.g., prosodic modulation), features typically associated with dysarthria occurred only exceptionally, even in the 3-year-olds. Conclusions The acquisition of speech motor functions is a prolonged process not yet completed with 9 years. Various developmental influences (e.g., anatomic–physiological changes) shape children's speech specifically. Our findings are a first step toward establishing auditory-perceptual norms for dysarthria in children of kindergarten and elementary school age. Supplemental Material https://doi.org/10.23641/asha.12133380


2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 1944-1955 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria Schwarz ◽  
Elizabeth C. Ward ◽  
Petrea Cornwell ◽  
Anne Coccetti ◽  
Pamela D'Netto ◽  
...  

Purpose The purpose of this study was to examine (a) the agreement between allied health assistants (AHAs) and speech-language pathologists (SLPs) when completing dysphagia screening for low-risk referrals and at-risk patients under a delegation model and (b) the operational impact of this delegation model. Method All AHAs worked in the adult acute inpatient settings across three hospitals and completed training and competency evaluation prior to conducting independent screening. Screening (pass/fail) was based on results from pre-screening exclusionary questions in combination with a water swallow test and the Eating Assessment Tool. To examine the agreement of AHAs' decision making with SLPs, AHAs ( n = 7) and SLPs ( n = 8) conducted an independent, simultaneous dysphagia screening on 51 adult inpatients classified as low-risk/at-risk referrals. To examine operational impact, AHAs independently completed screening on 48 low-risk/at-risk patients, with subsequent clinical swallow evaluation conducted by an SLP with patients who failed screening. Results Exact agreement between AHAs and SLPs on overall pass/fail screening criteria for the first 51 patients was 100%. Exact agreement for the two tools was 100% for the Eating Assessment Tool and 96% for the water swallow test. In the operational impact phase ( n = 48), 58% of patients failed AHA screening, with only 10% false positives on subjective SLP assessment and nil identified false negatives. Conclusion AHAs demonstrated the ability to reliably conduct dysphagia screening on a cohort of low-risk patients, with a low rate of false negatives. Data support high level of agreement and positive operational impact of using trained AHAs to perform dysphagia screening in low-risk patients.


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