Improving ototoxicity monitoring in patients receiving aminoglycosides using a novel digital approach: a quality improvement project.

Publication date: Apr 15, 2025

Aminoglycoside antibiotics cause ototoxicity for which baseline audiometric testing is recommended but often not done. Barriers to successful implementation include limited availability of sound-booths and audiologists. An ototoxicity monitoring programme (OMP) was implemented using tablet-based audiometry (TBA) by non-audiologists. A quality improvement project conducted over 1 year (19 April 2021 to 18 April 2022), using Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) cycles, monitored the adherence to the OMP using Shoebox Standard Edition application on iPads. Barriers to adoption were identified to determine potential solutions for improved adherence. Adult respiratory patients (cystic fibrosis (CF), bronchiectasis, non-tuberculosis mycobacteria (NTM) infection) aged 17-82 years receiving >1 day of intravenous aminoglycosides (IVAGs) at a single tertiary-referral hospital were included. Other reported outcomes were patient characteristics, risk factors associated with abnormal hearing and ototoxic shift. 73 patients were tested in the OMP (46 received ≥2 hearing tests) giving an overall adherence rate of 69% after 12 months. Patient identification using referral and reporting systems initially improved adherence from 36% to 88% (p=0. 03) during PDSA 1. Barriers to successful adherence were staff availability and COVID-19 infection outbreaks (p=0. 057). Older age (p

Concepts Keywords
Antibiotics Adolescent
Audiologists Adult
Ipads Aged
Shoebox Aged, 80 and over
Aminoglycosides
Aminoglycosides
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Anti-Bacterial Agents
Antibiotic management
Audiometry
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Mobile Applications
Ototoxicity
PDSA
Pharmacists
Quality Improvement
Quality improvement
Young Adult

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease MESH ototoxicity
disease IDO quality
disease MESH cystic fibrosis
disease MESH bronchiectasis
disease MESH tuberculosis
pathway KEGG Tuberculosis
disease MESH infection
drug DRUGBANK Etoperidone
disease MESH COVID-19

Original Article

(Visited 2 times, 1 visits today)

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *