Clinical Guideline District Infectious Diseases Management Sites where Clinical Guideline applies All facilities This Clinical Guideline applies to: 1. Adults Yes 2. Children up to 16 years Yes 3. Neonates less than 29 days No Approval gained from the Children Young People and Families Network on 27 June 2018 Target audience All antimicrobial prescribers Description This document describes expert recommendations relating to antimicrobial usage and when consultation with Infectious Diseases is warranted. These guidelines apply to all inpatient facilities managed by Hunter New England Health Service. Go to Guideline Keywords Document registration number HNELHD CG 18_24 Replaces existing document? Yes Registration number and dates of superseded documents Version One July 2018 Antibiotic, Antibiotic Guideline, Aminoglycoside, Gentamicin, Pneumonia, Meningitis, Staphylococcus aureus, Surgical prophylaxis, Antimicrobial, Sepsis, Splenectomy, Septic arthritis HNELHN CG 11_02 from 8 February 2011; HNEH CPG 08_07 Use of Antibiotics in HNEH; HNEH CPG 08_02 Aminoglycosides Guidelines; for Dosing and Monitoring (Adults); HNE 06/15-42 Related Legislation, Australian Standard, NSW Ministry of Health Policy Directive or Guideline, National Safety and Quality Health Service Standard (NSQHSS) and/or other, HNE Health Document, Professional Guideline, Code of Practice or Ethics: Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic, Edition 15, Therapeutic Guidelines, Melbourne, Victoria 2014 (access via the URL address etg over the HNE LHD intranet). Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare: National Healthcare Standards, Edition 2, November 2017 Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Healthcare: Clinical Care Standard, AMS, 2014 Position responsible for Clinical Guideline Governance and authorised by Clinical Guideline contact officer Elizabeth Grist, Executive Director Nursing and Midwifery Services Dr Mark Loewenthal, Director, Immunology & Infectious Disease Contact details Ph: 4922 3444 Email: Mark.Loewenthal@hnehealth.nsw.gov.au Date authorised 10 July 2018 This document contains advice on therapeutics Issue date 12 July 2018 Review date 12 July 2021 Yes. Approval gained from HNE Quality Use of Medicines Committee on 8 May 2018
Note: Over time, links in this document may cease working. Where this occurs, please source the document in the PPG Directory at: http://ppg.hne.health.nsw.gov.au/ GLOSSARY Acronym or Term AIMED AMS CIAP IV MRSA NHMRC VRE Definition Practical advice site for antimicrobial prescribing http://aimed.net.au Antimicrobial stewardship Clinical Information Access Program. Accessible by HNE Health intranet Intravenous Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus National Health and Medical Research Council Vancomycin-resistant enterococcus PURPOSE AND RISKS This guideline is an expert statement prepared by the Immunology and Infectious Diseases Department, Division of Medicine, John Hunter Hospital. It does not specifically address the broader topic of antimicrobial stewardship policy across HNE Health. It focuses on: promoting adherence to Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic promoting adherence to clinical practice guidelines for management of sepsis (CEC and NSW Kids), pneumonia (HNE) and staphylococcal bloodstream infection (HNE) specifying infectious disease syndromes for which obtaining expert advice from the Infectious Diseases service is advised promoting the strategy for IV to Oral antimicrobial conversion provision of appropriate surgical prophylaxis safe use and monitoring of aminoglycosides appropriate management of splenectomised patients facility targets for third-generation cephalosporin and quinolone antimicrobials across HNE facilities and the location of usage data cumulative antibiograms by Pathology NSW and their published location For specific advice regarding antimicrobial and clinical management of an infectious disease case, please contact the on-call Infectious Diseases Physician via tel 02 49213000. Risk statement Correct management of serious infections is associated with lower mortality. It involves selection of an appropriate antimicrobial for empirical treatment followed by a change to directed therapy as guided by a patient s microbiology results. Risk Category: Clinical care and patient safety Version One July 2018 Page 2
GUIDELINE While not requiring mandatory compliance, staff must have sound reasons for not implementing standards or practices set out within guidelines issued by HNE Health, or for measuring consistent variance in practice. 1.1 General Infectious Disease management Infectious Disease management across the Hunter New England Health Service should in general follow the current Therapeutic Guidelines, Antibiotic (TG) unless there are documented clinical reasons for deviation. TG/Antibiotic is accessible via CIAP. 1.2 Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) Severe Sepsis Guidelines These are available on the HNE PPG intranet site http://ppg.hne.health.nsw.gov.au/ by searching for Sepsis. See also the HNE LHD Recognition and Management of Sepsis PCP (2017). Internet access is provided via https://aimed.net.au/about/hne-guidelines/. 1.3 Paediatric Emergency Department Clinical Practice Guidelines Relevant NSW guidelines are available on the PPG and via http://www.nchn.org.au/clinical_guidelines.htm. 1.4 Hunter New England Clinical Practice Guidelines Local guidelines exist for the following clinical situations (available on the HNE PPG site and via https://aimed.net.au/about/hne-guidelines/ ): Community acquired pneumonia (adults) 2017 Staphylococcus aureus blood-stream infection (adults and children) 2014 Surgical antimicrobial prophylaxis and trauma orthopaedics (adults and children) 2014 1.5 Infectious Disease advice Consultancy advice on clinical and antimicrobial treatment is available at all hours from the on-call HNE Infectious Diseases Service (call 49213000 and page ID registrar or after hours consultant). Infectious Diseases consultant advice should be obtained for all patients with: Infective spinal discitis/osteomyelitis Infected joint replacements (early or late) Bacterial meningitis (suspected or proven) Bacterial or culture-negative endocarditis Staph. aureus blood stream infection 1.6 Medical Microbiologist advice Consultant advice on antimicrobial selection and dosing, antimicrobial susceptibility of usual pathogens and laboratory investigation of infectious diseases is available from the on-call Medical Microbiologist via tel. 49214000. 1.7 Suspected septic joint Septic joint/arthritis is a serious condition that may lead to disability or death. Oral antibiotics are not usually sufficient treatment for most patients. Standard management in the absence of deterioration or meeting the sepsis pathway is to aspirate the joint and take blood cultures and formal pathology PRIOR to commencing antibiotics. Antibiotics should be commenced when transfer to another facility for definitive therapy or joint aspiration will not occur for more than 12 hours. 1.8 Restricted prescription of antimicrobials The Clinical Excellence Commission provides a list of recommendations for restriction which uses a traffic light system (red/orange/green). Each facility is responsible for the implementation of effective antimicrobial restrictions or orange and red agents as required by the national hospital safety and quality accreditation standard. Version One July 2018 Page 3
1.9 Aminoglycoside dosing and usage: Most aminoglycoside recommendations in the Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic (TG) are for empirical therapy (with gentamicin). To obtain maximal benefit and to minimise toxicity, the TG recommends a maximum of 48 hours of empirical therapy (i.e. a maximum of 3 doses in patients with normal renal function at 0, 24 and 48 hours). Refer to Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic, current edition for specific advice. For those patients receiving directed aminoglycoside treatment, then obtain advice from the Hunter Drug Information Service. The therapeutic drug monitoring request sheet is reflected here- Aminoglycoside monitoring fax request.. 1.10 SWITCH to oral, CEASE or CONSULT? Early conversion to oral therapy, when indicated, potentially increases patient satisfaction, reduces need for hospitalisation and reduces cost. Local sites should consider strategies that reduce unnecessary parenteral use. Refer to the John Hunter Hospital Switch to Oral Guideline via the PPG or via https://aimed.net.au/about/hne-guidelines/. Note that for the following antimicrobials, which have high bioavailability, there is no advantage of parenteral treatment compared to oral therapy. azithromycin ciprofloxacin clindamycin metronidazole (can also be administered by rectal suppository) Always switch to oral as soon as possible once gut functioning is observed. 1.11 Splenectomised or hyposplenic patients These patients have a significant lifetime risk of severe sepsis. In an Australian study, the reported incidence was 0.42 per 100 person-years 1. Management involves: Immunisation (preferably prior some weeks prior to splenectomy). See current edition of the NHMRC Immunisation Guidelines. Assessment of post-splenectomy antimicrobial prophylaxis requirement focusing on those at highest risk (consult Therapeutic Guidelines: Antibiotic) Reserve/standby antibiotic supply to be held by patient Patient education/advice (patient information card recommended) Use of a medical alert bracelet (e.g. MedicAlert) Refer to GNAH_0446 Prescribing guideline for the prevention of sepsis in asplenic and hyposplenic patients available via the HNE PPG and via https://aimed.net.au/2015/09/29/managing-patientswith-asplenia-and-hyposplenia/ 1.12 Usage of antimicrobial agents (quinolones, third- and fourth-generation cephalosporins) Usage at all hospital sites is monitored continuously by District Pharmacy Services, using dispensed data from the pharmacy system. Trended data by site is available via a QlikView dashboard: http://hneqlikvprod01/qlikview/index.htm. Targets for usage are below 30 defined daily doses per 1,000 patient-days for quinolones and summed third and fourth-generation cephalosporins. 1.13 Local cumulative antibiograms Cumulative antibiograms provide a description of the collective antibiotic susceptibilities of local common bacterial pathogens. These are prepared and updated annually by Pathology North, NSW, Hunter, and are available via https://aimed.net.au/antibiograms/. Location-specific reports on MRSA, VRE and resistant Gram negative infections are also prepared. 1 Cullingford G, et al. Severe late post-splenectomy sepsis. Br J Surg 1991;78;716-721 Version One July 2018 Page 4
IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND AUDIT 1. Directors of Medical Service and Operations Managers need to ensure that all clinicians and prescribers of antimicrobials are made aware of this document. 2. The process of implementation of antimicrobial stewardship, monitoring, audit and its governance is the responsibility of local facility management using available clinical and pharmacy resources and staff. 3. The District Infection Prevention Service does not provide direct support for local AMS programs. It conducts surveillance on healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile infection and other healthcare infections see http://intranet.hne.health.nsw.gov.au/hne_infection_prevention and control/infection_prevention_a nd_control_infection_outcomes_clinical_indicators. CONSULTATION WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS Immunology and Infectious Diseases, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle Microbiology, Pathology NSW, Hunter District Pharmacy Services, HNE LHD Pharmacy Service, JHH, District Children, Young People and Families Network, HNE LHD Infection Prevention Service, HNE LHD Any feedback on this document should be sent to the Contact Officer listed on the front page. Version One July 2018 Page 5