Outpatient antibiotic therapy (OPAT)

Sara Keller, M.D.

DEFINITION

  • OPAT: defined as the use of parenteral antibiotics outside of the acute care setting.
  • Infusions can be administered in and by:
    • Skilled nursing facility staff members
    • Outpatient infusion centers by nurses
    • In the home by patient and/or family with support from home nursing professionals available
      • Typically, home nurses perform education on the first initiation of home-based OPAT and then return to the home weekly for assessments, laboratory test draws, and venous catheter dressing changes.
    • In the home by home nursing professionals (unusual in the U.S.)
    • In the home by patient and family without support from home nursing professionals
      • Patients return to a clinic weekly for assessment and medication distribution.

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Last updated: September 8, 2024