Abstract:
Objectives: We wish to report on our experience of OPAT during the first two years of the COVID19 outbreak.
Patients and methods: We recorded data on all patients treated in the OPAT regimen in 2020 and 2021 and compared overall trends, use of carbapenems and saved days of hospitalization.
Results: The OPAT model enabled us to ensure the administration of first choice antibiotic therapy to 239 patients with an increase of 21.3% from 2020 to 2021 (108 vs 131). Applying this model, we also recorded a reduction in the use of carbapenems from 33% in 2020 to 26% in 2021 and a total of 3041 recovery days saved in 2021.The clinical cure rate reached 94%. Few adverse events occurred (35/239; 14.6%), and they did not require hospitalization.
Conclusion: OPAT is a safe, efficacious, and cost-effective model that functioned effectively during the COVID-19 crisis as and could become the standard of care for the treatment of selected patients.
Reference:Giuliano G, Raffaelli F, Faliero D, Tamburrini E, Tarantino D, Nurchis MC, Scoppettuolo G. Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) From an emergency model applied during the COVID-19 pandemic to standard of care: preliminary lessons from our experience. Infect Dis Now. 2023 Jan 12:S2666-9919(23)00005-2. doi: 10.1016/j.idnow.2023.01.002. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36642101; PMCID: PMC9836987.