The following is a summary of “Quantitative analysis of the impact of infectious disease physicians on patients in the emergency department fast-track parenteral antibiotics program,” published in the July 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by McSweeney et al.
Vancouver General Hospital’s (VGH) outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT) program transitioned from emergency physician (EP) oversight to include infectious disease (ID) specialists in 2017.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study investigating whether involving ID specialists improved patient outcomes in the OPAT program.
They examined the influence of ID specialists by comparing patient OPAT duration with ID input versus solely EP management. Additional aims included assessing differences in clinical decisions such as antibiotic selection, diagnostic tests, and final diagnoses.
The results showed no difference in the mean days on OPAT between physician types. Patients under increased ID consultation spent an average of 0.5 days less in the program than historical norms. Total OPAT duration mirrored the initial ID assessment day, suggesting prompt patient discharge by ID specialists. Patients assessed with ID had lower one-month return rates post-discharge. Secondary findings indicated ID physicians prescribed a more comprehensive array of antibiotics, offered diverse final diagnoses, reduced antibiotic use, and ordered more cultures, imaging, and specialist consultations.
Investigators concluded that incorporating ID specialists into OPAT programs could benefit patients and the healthcare system.
Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-09305-0
The post Assessing ID Physicians’ Influence on ED Antibiotic Fast-Track Program Outcomes first appeared on Physician's Weekly.