Clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients receiving outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy in a Belgian setting: a single-center pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) was not used in Belgium before 2013, except for patients with cystic fibrosis. Thus, we have performed a pilot study to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of patient receiving OPAT in a Belgian setting.

METHODS: The study was a prospective observational single-center study of patients receiving OPAT between 1 September 2013 and 31 December, 2017.

RESULTS: We included 218 OPATs. The median age was 58 years and 71% were men. At the end of the treatment, 92% of the patients on OPAT were cured. Risk factors for treatment failure were obesity, diabetes and diabetic foot infections, longer duration of hospitalization before OPAT, and duration of OPAT >16 days. An average of 24 days of hospitalization per patient discharge was saved, which amounted to 5205 days saved during the project. During the OPAT and 30 days thereafter, 71 (32.6%) of patients were readmitted, but only 26 (12%) readmissions were directly related to OPAT. Risk factors for readmissions were diabetes and diabetic foot infections, endovascular infections, longer duration of hospitalization before OPAT, duration of OPAT >30 days, and history of hospitalizations in the year before OPAT. There were 2.3 intravenous catheter-related events per 1000 days of catheter use. Patients' level of satisfaction was high (99.5%).

CONCLUSIONS: In this pilot study, OPAT is found to be efficacious in saving hospitalization's days, with a low rate of readmissions and complications and a high patients' level of satisfaction. We therefore conclude that OPAT is feasible and safe.

BACKGROUND: Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) was not used in Belgium before 2013, except for patients with cystic fibrosis. Thus, we have performed a pilot study to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcomes of patient receiving OPAT in a Belgian setting.

METHODS: The study was a prospective observational single-center study of patients receiving OPAT between 1 September 2013 and 31 December, 2017.

RESULTS: We included 218 OPATs. The median age was 58 years and 71% were men. At the end of the treatment, 92% of the patients on OPAT were cured. Risk factors for treatment failure were obesity, diabetes and diabetic foot infections, longer duration of hospitalization before OPAT, and duration of OPAT >16 days. An average of 24 days of hospitalization per patient discharge was saved, which amounted to 5205 days saved during the project. During the OPAT and 30 days thereafter, 71 (32.6%) of patients were readmitted, but only 26 (12%) readmissions were directly related to OPAT. Risk factors for readmissions were diabetes and diabetic foot infections, endovascular infections, longer duration of hospitalization before OPAT, duration of OPAT >30 days, and history of hospitalizations in the year before OPAT. There were 2.3 intravenous catheter-related events per 1000 days of catheter use. Patients' level of satisfaction was high (99.5%).

CONCLUSIONS: In our study, OPAT is found to be efficacious in saving hospitalization's days, with a low rate of readmissions and complications and a high patients' level of satisfaction. We therefore conclude that OPAT is feasible and safe.