Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy for fever and neutropenia.
The treatment of fever and neutropenia following chemotherapy lends itself well to outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT). Patients prefer to be at home rather than hospitalized again. There is a clear cost advantage of outpatient therapy. With a quality program and careful patient selection, OPAT can be provided effectively and safely. The chances of an infection due to resistant bacteria also appear to be reduced. There are an increasing number of studies that support the use of empiric antibiotic therapy for the first fever in neutropenic patients. The choice of antimicrobial, dose, as well as vascular access and infusion devices must be tailored to the individual patient needs and circumstances.
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Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, USA.
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002408:Catheters, Indwelling; D005334:Fever / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018718:Home Infusion Therapy; D006801:Humans; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D018579:Patient Selection
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents