Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy among people who inject drugs: A review of the literature

98Citations
Citations of this article
91Readers
Mendeley users who have this article in their library.

This article is free to access.

Abstract

Hospitalizations for people who inject drugs (PWID) with infectious complications requiring prolonged antibiotic therapy are increasing in the context of the opioid epidemic. Although outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is routinely offered to patients without a history of injection drug use (IDU), PWID are often excluded from consideration of OPAT. To better assess the evidence base for the safety and effectiveness of OPAT for PWID, we conducted a review of the published literature. Results suggest that OPAT may be safe and effective for PWID, with rates of OPAT completion, mortality, and catheter-related complications comparable to rates among patients without a history of IDU. Rates of hospital readmissions may be higher among PWID, but instances of misuse of the venous catheter were rarely reported. More research is needed to study the safety and effectiveness of OPAT among PWID, as well as studying the combination of OPAT and addiction treatment.

Cite

CITATION STYLE

APA

Suzuki, J., Johnson, J., Montgomery, M., Hayden, M., & Price, C. (2018, September 1). Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy among people who inject drugs: A review of the literature. Open Forum Infectious Diseases. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/ofid/ofy194

Register to see more suggestions

Mendeley helps you to discover research relevant for your work.

Already have an account?

Save time finding and organizing research with Mendeley

Sign up for free