Top stories in infectious diseases: EHR 72-hour time-out reduces antibiotic therapy duration, new reasons for preventing infection in nursing homes, long-term care facilities

Among the top stories in infectious disease last week were a study that found a 72-hour antimicrobial time-out on electronic health records was successful in reducing antibiotic therapy duration but not antimicrobial use and a report that pointed to a need for infection prevention and controlled measures in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.

Other highlights included survey results that indicated infectious disease clinicians are not always screening for asymptomatic carriage of Clostridioides difficile, a study that found 80% of antibiotics prescribed prior to dental visits were unnecessary and the discovery of a new tick-borne virus in China. – by Erin Michael

EHR-based 72-hour time-out reduces antibiotic therapy duration

An electronic health record-based antimicrobial time-out that prompted prescribers after 72 hours “to review antimicrobials with an empiric indication and no defined duration” resulted in the discontinuation or de-escalation of 21% of empiric antimicrobials at a large health system within 6 hours after the antibiotic time-out alert, researchers reported. Read more.

Nursing home infection control should target environments outside resident rooms

Results from an observational study showed that residents in nursing homes or long-term care facilities have frequent contact with staff and the environment outside of their rooms, indicating new targets for infection prevention and control measures in these facilities, researchers wrote in Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology. Read more.

Few ID physicians screen patients for asymptomatic C. difficile

Infectious disease physicians in the United States do not commonly screen patients for asymptomatic carriage of Clostridioides difficile, according to results from a nationwide survey. Read more.

80% of antibiotics prescribed before dental visits are unnecessary

Around 80% of antibiotics prescribed for infection prophylaxis before dental visits are unnecessary, findings from a large retrospective cohort study published today in JAMA Network Open suggest. Read more.

New tick-borne virus discovered in China

Researchers in northeastern China discovered a new segmented RNA virus associated with febrile illness in dozens of patients, and they suspect that the virus is transmitted by ticks, according to a study published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Read more.