[e-drug] Out Patient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy

[Atieno Ojoo <atisojoo@yahoo.co.uk>]

E-drug: Out Patient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy
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At the 11th European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and
Infectious Diseases(ECCMID) held in Istanbul turkey in April 2001,
Hoffmann-La Roche, the manufacturers of a Ceftriaxone Brand,
sponsored an integrated symposium on  Out Patient parenteral
Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT).

The main thrust of the symposium was use of OPAT in order to
reduce admissions into hospital beds and therefore reduce costs.
Several publications were cited dating back to 1978 regarding cost
savings with OPAT.

Parenteral antibiotic use was thus recommended in general practice
(Doctors' private clinics, Hospital Out patient set ups), in paediatrics,
in certain groups of infections (particularly community acquired
pneumonia).

Apparently, OPAT practice guidelines have been developed in the
USA, UK and Canada - If any one has access to these guidelines,
could they be shared?

Now to the Question - do we want to encourage this practice or not??
For those countries where this practice has been going on, especially
with regard to avoiding hospital admissions, could you share your
experiences or any studies that have been done to document cost
savings and other clinical quality indicators?
 
Dr Atieno Ojoo
Chief Pharmacist,
Gertrude's Garden Children's Hospital
Nairobi, Kenya
e-mail: atisojoo@yahoo.co.uk
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