Infective endocarditis is relatively uncommon in childhood, but its epidemiology has changed in the past three to four decades and its incidence has been increasing in recent years. With the improved survival rates of children with congenital heart diseases and the overall decreased frequency of rheumatic valvular heart disease in developed countries, congenital cardiac abnormalities now represent the predominant underlying condition for infective endocarditis in children over the age of two years in Western Europe and Northern America. Moreover, the complex management of neonatal and pediatric intensive care unit patients has increased the risk of catheter-related endocarditis. More specifically, the surgical correction of congenital heart alterations is associated with the risk of postoperative infections. Endocarditis in children may be difficult to diagnosis and manage. Emerging resistant bacteria, such as methicillin- or vancomycin-resistant staphylococci and vancomycin-resistant enterococci, are becoming a new challenge for conventional antibiotic therapy. Newer antimicrobial compounds recently introduced in clinical practice, such as streptogramins and oxazolidinones, may be effective alternatives in children with endocarditis sustained by Gram-positive cocci resistant to glycopeptides. Home intravenous therapy has become an acceptable approach for stable patients who are at low risk for embolic complications. However, further clinical studies are needed in order to assess efficacy and safety of these antimicrobial agents in children. This review should help outline the most appropriate antimicrobial treatments for infective endocarditis in children.
OBJECTIVE To compare calfactant (CA) and poractant alfa (PA) administration traits, short-term clinical responses, and resource use in the neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) setting.
METHODS An open label series of 277 (213 PA and 64 CA) infants was evaluated for 445 administrations. Registered respiratory therapists collected patient, surfactant administration, and postadministration clinical data. Economic analysis involved labor costs of surfactant administration and usage, wastage, and product average wholesale price. Analysis utilized the Mann-Whitney rank sum test for differences in administration time and either the chi-square or Fisher's exact test for categorical variables.
RESULTS PA had a statistically lower bedside administration time than CA (3.8 minutes vs. 5.3 minutes; P = .006) and a higher percentage of doses administered in less than five minutes (58.9% vs. 4.3%; P < .001). Doses administered per patient were similar (1.67 vs. 1.72). PA and CA were similar in time to recovery (81.4% vs. 74.3%), percent desaturation (24.8% vs. 26.7%), and bradycardia (3.8% vs. 8.5%). Reflux was significantly higher (13.2% vs. 3.5%; P < .001) with CA. Economic analyses found total administration costs per dose were $2.21 for PA and $3.08 for CA. Mean wastage costs were $141.21 for PA and $337.34 for CA (P < .001).
CONCLUSIONS PA appeared to utilize fewer neonatal intensive care unit resources than CA due to reduced administration time and less wastage of drug product. Future studies should more closely evaluate time, resource, wastage, and post-administrative clinical effects to fully assess the impact of surfactant products in this setting.
OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to determine if the number of red blood cell (RBC) transfusions anemic pediatric intensive care unit patients receive could be reduced by the prophylactic administration of recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO).
METHODS This was a randomized, double-blind placebo controlled trial. Patients were randomized to receive either intravenous rHuEPO 300 units/kg/day or placebo. Both groups received elemental iron 6 mg/kg/day.
RESULTS Twenty-seven patients, ages 1 month to 13 years, were enrolled. Baseline hematocrit (Hct), reticulocyte count, and erythropoietin concentration were similar between the two groups. Three patients randomized to rHuEPO received 1 RBC transfusion each, and 4 patients randomized to placebo received 9 transfusions total (P = .68). The end-of-study Hct was not significantly different between the rHuEPO and placebo groups, 30.3 ± 3.6 and 26.8 ± 4.8, respectively (P = .06). Additionally, neither the % Hct change (baseline to final), nor the % reticulocyte change (baseline to final), was statistically different between the two groups.
CONCLUSION In this small group of anemic pediatric intensive care unit patients, prophylactic rHuEPO administration did not reduce the number of patients who received RBC transfusions. Furthermore, it did not significantly increase Hct or reticulocyte count when compared to placebo.
OBJECTIVE Invasive fungal infections are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in immunodeficient children. Amphotericin B is an important therapeutic agent for the treatment of invasive fungal infections but is associated with significant toxicities and high acquisition costs. The purpose of this study was to evaluate physician adherence to a local guideline for the use of lipid-based amphotericin B.
METHODS The study was approved through Pharmacology & Therapeutics (P&T) committee activities. A retrospective drug utilization review (DUR) was conducted. All orders written between January 1, 2003, and December 31, 2004, were reviewed. Demographic and descriptive clinical data were collected as well as variables related to the drug order process. Conformity rates were calculated for the primary objective criteria (authorized prescribers – infectious disease members; recommended drug of choice—Abelcet; accepted indications; and presence of underlying conditions).
RESULTS A total of 109 orders for 70 patients were reviewed by a single research assistant for a 2-year period. Global conformity rate for all four criteria was calculated at 7.3%. Non-conformity was mostly associated with the absence of underlying conditions (e.g., prerenal insufficiency or presence of nephrotoxicity due to amphotericin B desoxycholate) in 84.5% of the cases. Infusionrelated adverse drug reactions partly explained a switch to a non-formulary lipid-based amphotericin B product. External factors (newly published results since the adoption of the guideline and continuous marketing practices) and internal factors (availability of non-formulary process, inefficient DUR process) could have contributed to non-adherence to a local guideline.
CONCLUSION This study shows low adherence to P&T committee drug guidelines on lipid-based amphotericin B. Continuous and efficient DUR processes should be in place to monitor drug guideline adherence.