Zimmerman, David E.

ABSTRACT Clinical pharmacists are increasingly recognized as vital contributors to acute stroke care, yet their role remains inconsistently defined and underutilized across health care systems. This consensus statement explores the expanding presence of clinical pharmacists within interdisciplinary stroke teams, particularly in the management of both acute ischemic stroke ( AIS ) and hemorrhagic stroke. This consensus statement panel was composed of clinical pharmacists, emergency medicine physicians, and a vascular neurologist. The Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation ( GRADE ) approach was used to assess the level of certainty and strength of recommendations. We focused on two questions regarding the clinical pharmacist's role in caring for adult patients presenting to the emergency department ( ED ) with AIS or hemorrhagic stroke. Despite the very low level of evidence, a consensus was reached for the following recommendations: (1) clinical pharmacist involvement in AIS care for adult patients presenting to the ED and (2) clinical pharmacist involvement in hemorrhagic stroke care for adult patients presenting to the ED . Based on the available literature, we believe optimizing the clinical pharmacist role is a critical factor in improving time‐sensitive treatment and equity in care delivery.

ABSTRACT As emergency department (ED) crowding and patient boarding reach critical levels nationwide, the role of the emergency medicine pharmacist (EMP) must be both defined and safeguarded. While EMPs are increasingly valued for their contributions to acute care, their responsibilities often unintentionally expand during periods of operational strain, particularly when admitted patients remain in the ED for prolonged durations. EMPs should ideally be resourced to remain focused on time‐sensitive, high‐risk medication management where their expertise is most impactful and not be used as default providers for all pharmacotherapy needs during ED boarding. This perspective outlines our position on the ideal scope of EMP practice during times of congestion, advocating for clearly defined role boundaries, strategic collaboration with other pharmacy team members, and system‐level support to prevent dilution of emergency care. EMPs must be empowered to prioritize critical ED workflows, support resuscitations, and lead initiatives in education, protocol development, and patient safety, without being overextended by responsibilities that can be absorbed by other team members.

Abstract Background Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are commonly treated in the emergency department (ED), and unfortunately, resistance to first-line agents is increasing. Objectives To characterize treatment of pyelonephritis in a nationally representative sample of ED patients and to identify patient- and treatment-specific factors associated with receiving initial inactive antibiotics. Methods We conducted a multicentre, observational cohort study utilizing the Emergency Medicine PHARMacotherapy Research NETwork (EMPHARM-NET), comprising 15 geographically diverse US EDs. All patients ≥18 years of age with a diagnosis of pyelonephritis between 2018 and 2020 were included. The primary endpoint was the proportion of patients who received initial inactive empirical antibiotic therapy and to identify predictive factors of inactive antibiotic therapy. Results Of the 3714 patients evaluated, 223 had culture-positive pyelonephritis. Median patient age was 50.1 years and patients were mostly female (78.3%). Overall, 40.4% of patients received an IV antibiotic, most commonly ceftriaxone (86.7%). The most frequently prescribed antibiotics were cefalexin (31.8%), ciprofloxacin (14.3%), cefdinir (13.5%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (12.6%). Overall, 10.3% of patients received initial inactive therapy. After adjustment in a multivariable analysis, long-acting IV antibiotic was predictive of inactive therapy (OR 0.23, 95% CI 0.07–0.83). Conclusions In our prospective, multicentre observational study, we found that only 40.4% of patients with pyelonephritis received empirical IV antibiotics in the ED, contributing to inactive therapy. Receipt of long-acting IV antibiotics was independently associated with a decreased rate of initial inactive therapy. This reinforces guideline recommendations to administer long-acting IV antibiotics empirically in the ED upon suspicion of pyelonephritis.

AbstractBackgroundUropathogen resistance, fluoroquinolone‐resistance (FQR), and extended spectrum beta‐lactamase (ESBL), has been observed to be emerging worldwide with prevalences above recommended thresholds for routine empirical treatment. The primary aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of FQR from a geographically diverse sample of United States emergency departments (EDs).MethodsWe conducted a multi‐center, observational cohort study using a network of 15 geographically diverse US EDs. All patients ≥18 years of age with the primary or secondary diagnosis of urinary tract infection (UTI) in the ED identified using International Classification of Diseases (ICD‐10) diagnosis code of cystitis, pyelonephritis, or UTI from 2018 to 2020 were included. We calculated descriptive statistics for uropathogens and susceptibilities. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify antimicrobial resistance risk factors associated with FQR Escherichia coli.ResultsAmong 3779 patients who met inclusion criteria, median age was 62.9 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 41–77.6) and 76.3% were female. The most common diagnoses were complicated (41.2%) and uncomplicated cystitis (40.3%). E. coli was the most common pathogen (63.2%), followed by Klebsiella pneumoniae (13.2%) and Enterococcus species (5.8%). Across all sites, overall E. coli FQ‐resistance prevalence was 22.1%, ranging from 10.5 to 29.7% by site. The prevalence of ESBL‐producing uropathogen was 7.4%, ranging from 3.6% to 11.6% by site. Previous IV or oral antimicrobial use in the past 90‐days and history of a multi‐drug resistant pathogen were associated with FQ‐resistant E. coli (odds ratio [OR] 2.68, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.04–3.51, and OR 6.93, 95% CI: 4.95–9.70, respectively). Of the patients who had FQ‐resistant E. coli or an ESBL‐producing uropathogen isolated, 116 (37.1%) and 61 (36.7%) did not have any documented risk factors for resistance.ConclusionFQ‐resistant E. coli is widely prevalent across US sites highlighting the need for ongoing monitoring of antimicrobial resistance and, at some locations, modification of empirical treatments.