Browsing by Author "Nichols, Kristen R."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Cinacalcet Administration by Gastrostomy Tube in a Child Receiving Peritoneal Dialysis
    (Pediatric Pharmacy Advocacy Group and Allen Press Publishing Services, 2014-07) Nichols, Kristen R.; Knoderer, Chad A.; Johnston, Bethanne; Wilson, Amy C.; Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine
    A 2-year-old male with chronic kidney disease with secondary hyperparathyroidism developed hypercal - cemia while receiving calcitriol, without achieving a serum parathyroid hormone concentration within the goal range. Cinacalcet 15 mg (1.2 mg/kg), crushed and administered via gastrostomy tube, was added to the patient’s therapy. This therapy was effective in achieving targeted laboratory parameters in our patient despite instructions in the prescribing information that cinacalcet should always be taken whole.
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    Comparison of Antibiotic Dosing Before and After Implementation of an Electronic Order Set
    (Thieme, 2019-03) Nichols, Kristen R.; Petschke, Allison L.; Webber, Emily C.; Knoderer, Chad A.; Pediatrics, School of Medicine
    Background: To maximize resources, the antimicrobial stewardship program at a pediatric tertiary care hospital made pediatric dosing specific guidance within the electronic health record available to all hospitals within the health system. Objective: The objective of this study was to compare the appropriateness of antibiotic dosing before and after the implementation of an electronic intravenous (IV) antibiotic order set. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study evaluating orders from patients younger than 18 years who received cefepime, piperacillin-tazobactam, tobramycin, or gentamicin at 12 health-system hospitals. Antibiotic dosing regimens and order set use were evaluated in patients who received the specified antibiotics during the 6-month time frame prior to and following electronic order set availability at each hospital. Results: In the before and after implementation periods, 360 and 387 total antibiotic orders were included, respectively. Most orders were gentamicin (55.8% in the before implementation period and 54.5% in the after implementation period) followed by piperacillin-tazobactam (22.5% in the before period and 22.2% in the after period). Overall, 663 orders were classified as appropriate (88.8%). Appropriateness was similar in the before or after implementation periods (87.8 vs. 89.7%, p = 0.415). There was a significant difference in appropriateness if a blank order versus the electronic IV antibiotic order set was used (82.8 vs. 90.5%; p = 0.024). Conclusion: No difference in antibiotic appropriateness overall was found in the before and after implementation periods. However, when specifically compared with the appropriateness of dosing when blank order forms were used, dosing was more appropriate when electronic antibiotic order sets were used.
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    Implementing Extended-Infusion Cefepime as Standard of Care in a Children’s Hospital: A Prospective Descriptive Study
    (Sage, 2015-04) Nichols, Kristen R.; Karmire, Lauren C.; Cox, Elaine G.; Kays, Michael B.; Knoderer, Chad A.; Department of Pediatrics, Indiana University School of Medicine
    Background: Extended-infusion cefepime (EIC) has been associated with decreased mortality in adults, but to our knowledge, there are no studies in children. Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility of implementing EIC as the standard dosing strategy in a pediatric population. Methods: This was a descriptive study of children aged 1 month to 17 years, including patients in the intensive care unit, who received cefepime after admission to a freestanding, tertiary care children’s hospital. Patients were excluded if they were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit or received cefepime in the outpatient, operating, or emergency department areas. Demographic and clinical data for patients who received cefepime from April through August 2013, the period following EIC implementation, were extracted from the medical records. Results: A total of 150 patients were included in the study, with a median age (interquartile range [IQR]) of 6 years (2-12.3 years) and median weight (IQR) of 20.7 kg (13.2-42.8 kg); 143 patients received cefepime via extended infusions, and 10 (7.0%) of those were changed to a 30-minute infusion during treatment. The most common reasons for infusion time change were intravenous (IV) incompatibility and IV access concerns, responsible for 50% of changes. Dosing errors and reported incidents during therapy were sparse (n = 12, 8.0%) and were most commonly related to renal dosing errors and/or initial dose error by prescriber. Conclusions: Because 93.0% of the patients who initially received EIC remained on EIC, implementation of EIC as the standard dosing strategy was feasible in this pediatric hospital.
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    Late-Occurring Vancomycin-Associated Acute Kidney Injury in Children Receiving Prolonged Therapy
    (Sage, 2015-10) Knoderer, Chad A.; Gritzman, Allison L.; Nichols, Kristen R.; Wilson, Amy C.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients receiving vancomycin has been associated with trough concentrations ≥15 mg/L and longer therapy duration. The objective of this study was to determine the incidence and factors associated with late AKI in children receiving ≥8 days of vancomycin therapy. Methods: Children aged 30 days to 17 years who were admitted to our institution and received intravenous vancomycin for at least 8 days during January to December of 2007 and 2010 and had a suspected or proven gram-positive infection were included. Late AKI was categorized as AKI occurring after the first 7 days of therapy and within 48 hours following vancomycin discontinuation. The primary outcome was incidence of late AKI as determined by modified pRIFLE criteria. Results: One-hundred sixty-seven patients were included, with a median (interquartile range) age (years) and weight (kg) of 2 (1-7) and 12.5 (8.9-23.8). Late AKI was identified in 12.6% (21/167). A higher percentage of late AKI patients received concomitant treatment with intravenous acyclovir, amphotericin products, or piperacillin-tazobactam. Age <1 year was the only factor independently associated with late AKI development (odds ratio = 4.4; 95% confidence interval = 1.3-15.4). Conclusions: Late AKI occurred in nearly 13% of children receiving ≥8 days of vancomycin therapy. This study suggests that vancomycin trough concentrations are not associated with late AKI, but that age <1 year and concomitant administration of certain nephrotoxins may be factors associated with increased risk.
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    Pharmacologic Management of Pediatric Hypertension
    (Springer, 2016-02) Misurac, Jason; Nichols, Kristen R.; Wilson, Amy C.; Department of Pediatrics, IU School of Medicine
    Hypertension in children is common, and the prevalence of primary hypertension is increasing with the obesity epidemic and changing dietary choices. Careful measurement of blood pressure is important to correctly diagnose hypertension, as many factors can lead to inaccurate blood pressure measurement. Hypertension is diagnosed based on comparison of age-, sex-, and height-based norms with the average systolic and diastolic blood pressures on three separate occasions. In the absence of hypertensive target organ damage (TOD), stage I hypertension is managed first by diet and exercise, with the addition of drug therapy if this fails. First-line treatment of stage I hypertension with TOD and stage II hypertension includes both lifestyle changes and medications. First-line agents include angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, and calcium-channel blockers. Hypertensive emergency with end-organ effects requires immediate modest blood pressure reduction to alleviate symptoms. This is usually accomplished with IV medications. Long-term reduction in blood pressure to normal levels is accomplished gradually. Specific medication choice for outpatient hypertension management is determined by the underlying cause of hypertension and the comparative adverse effect profiles, along with practical considerations such as cost and frequency of administration. Antihypertensive medication is initiated at a starting dose and can be gradually increased to effect. If ineffective at the recommended maximum dose, an additional medication with a complementary mechanism of action can be added.