Volume 11, Number 10—October 2005
Research
Vancomycin and Home Health Care
Thomas G. Fraser*1, Valentina Stosor*, Qiong Wang†, Anne Allen‡, and Teresa R. Zembower*
Table 2
Comparison of HICPAC guidelines with home infusion use of vancomycin in 296 patients*
| No. (%) | |
|---|---|
| Manner in which vancomycin use met guidelines | 180 (60.8) |
| Treatment of infections with β-lactam-resistant, gram-positive bacteria | 118 (65.6) |
| Treatment of gram-positive infections in patients with allergies to β-lactam agents | 67 (37.2) |
| Manner in which vancomycin use did not meet guidelines | 116 (39.2) |
| Continued empiric vancomycin use in patients with negative or no cultures | 84 (72.4) |
| Use of vancomycin for dosing convenience | 18 (15.5) |
| Prolonged administration of antimicrobial drugs after implantation of prosthetic materials or devices | 13 (11.2) |
| Treatment of a single blood culture showing coagulase-negative staphylococci | 9 (7.8) |
*Some patients fulfilled >1 criteria. HICPAC, Hospital Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee.
1Current affiliation: Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
