Pediatrics Section Forum: The Rising Cost of Ethanol Locks, What is the Alternative?

Recurrent catheter-related blood stream infections (CRBSIs) is a common and life-threatening infectious complication of home parenteral nutrition (PN) and results in frequent hospital admissions, extended hospital stays, increased healthcare cost, loss of vascular access, and a huge toll on patient morbidity and mortality. A variety of organisms contribute to CRBSIs in our home parenteral nutrition dependent patients, making targeted antimicrobial therapy challenging. Ethanol lock therapy (ELT) with its bactericidal and fungicidal properties has been an attractive option to prevent CRBSIs, as it used to be inexpensive with wide antimicrobial properties with no known resistance and capability of penetrating biofilms. With an exponential rising cost ELT affordability and availability became compromised. The presenters in the Pediatric Section Community Forum will discuss CRBSI and ELT efficacy among other CRBSI prevention methods in addition to alternative safe options to ELT in the era of the national ethanol shortage. The forum also proposes advocacy opportunities and prospective research.

Faculty
Ruba Abdelhadi, MD, CNSC, NASPGHAN-F
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

Brandi Weller, PharmD
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

William San Pablo, MD
Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO

Kyle Hampson, PharmD
Brooklyn Hospital Center Long Island University Pharmacy, The Arnold & Marie Schwartz College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Brooklyn, NY



Live session sponsored by: Fresenius Kabi