Influence of pharmacists and infection control teams or antimicrobial stewardship teams on the safety and efficacy of vancomycin: A Japanese administrative claims database study

PLoS One. 2022 Sep 9;17(9):e0274324. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274324. eCollection 2022.

Abstract

Introduction: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has a high mortality and requires effective treatment with anti-MRSA agents such as vancomycin (VCM). Management of the efficacy and safety of VCM has been implemented with the assignment of pharmacists in hospital wards and the establishment of teams related to infectious diseases. However, there are no reports evaluating the association between these factors and the efficacy and safety of VCM in large populations.

Methods: This study used the Japanese administrative claims database accumulated from 2010 to 2019. The population was divided into two groups, therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) group and non-TDM group, and adjusted by propensity score matching. We performed multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the influence of pharmacists and infection control teams or antimicrobial stewardship teams on acute kidney injury (AKI) and 30-day mortality.

Results: The total number of patients was 73 478 (TDM group, n = 55 269; non-TDM group, n = 18 209). After propensity score matching, 18 196 patients were matched in each group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pharmacological management for each patient contributed to the reduction of AKI (odds ratio [OR]: 0.812, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.723‒0.912) and 30-day mortality (OR: 0.538, 95% CI: 0.503‒0.575). However, the establishment of infectious disease associated team in facilities and the assignment of pharmacists in the hospital wards had no effect on AKI and 30-day mortality. In addition, TDM did not affect the reduction in AKI (OR: 1.061, 95% CI: 0.948‒1.187), but reduced 30-day mortality (OR: 0.873, 95% CI: 0.821‒0.929).

Conclusion: Pharmacologic management for individual patients, rather than assignment systems at facilities, is effective to reduce AKI and 30-day mortality with VCM administration.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury* / drug therapy
  • Acute Kidney Injury* / epidemiology
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects
  • Antimicrobial Stewardship*
  • Humans
  • Infection Control
  • Japan
  • Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus*
  • Pharmacists
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Staphylococcal Infections* / drug therapy
  • Vancomycin / adverse effects

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Vancomycin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (grant number 20HA2003).