Andrea Prinzi, Ph.D., MPH, a member of the 2020 cohort of the IHQSE Certificate Training Program published their work in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology, showing that endotracheal aspirate cultures commonly overreport lower respiratory tract infections due to contamination, often resulting in excess antimicrobial therapy.

IHQSE faculty, Dr. Sarah Tevis and team, evaluated pain management practices in relation to postoperative prescribing of opioids for patients undergoing breast surgery. The authors suggest that a revaluation of pre- and perioperative pain management practices and a multidisciplinary approach using ERAS protocols could potentially lead to improved patient outcomes while mitigating opioid over-prescription.

IHQSE Faculty, Dr. Sarah Tevis, co-authored a study showing that lumpectomy patients who received a perioperative opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia protocol reported significantly lower postoperative pain and were able to be discharged without an opioid prescription. This publication in Annals of Surgical Oncology showed the reduction of excess opioids available for diversion--made possible by implementing opioid-sparing multimodal analgesia.

IHQSE Faculty, Dr. Sarah Tevis and team, published findings of a study which assessed opioid prescribing preferences for acute postoperative pain. Surgical residents reported that faculty preferences for opioid prescribing are a significant driver in their prescribing practices, inadvertently resulting in variability from established prescribing guidelines. Surgeons were surveyed about their preferences for prescribing opioids; those responses were then compared with actual prescribing practices and prescribing guidelines determined by the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network. Results of the survey suggest that there is a disconnect in communication between residents and faculty as well as opportunity for enhanced education on prescribing guidelines.