Addressing Concerns about Changing the Route of Antimicrobial Administration from Intravenous to Oral in Adult Inpatients.
BACKGROUND
Many health care institutions are in the process of establishing antimicrobial stewardship programs. Changing the route of administration of antimicrobial agents from intravenous to oral (IV to PO) is a simple, well-recognized intervention that is often part of an antimicrobial stewardship program. However, the attending health care team may have concerns about making this switch.


OBJECTIVE
To provide insights into common concerns related to IV to PO conversion, with the aim of helping antimicrobial stewardship teams to address them.


METHODS
Published clinical trials and reviews were identified from a literature search of Ovid MEDLINE with the keywords (step down or switch or conversion or transition or sequential) and (antibiotics or antibacterial agents or antimicrobial or anti-infective agents).


RESULTS
The following issues are addressed in this review: benefits of the oral route, serum concentrations yielded by the oral formulation, source of pharmacokinetic data, clinical outcomes, provision of care in the intensive care unit, fear of therapeutic failure, and administration of antimicrobials via feeding tube.


CONCLUSIONS
When considering a change to oral therapy, it is important to have a thorough understanding of key aspects of the antimicrobial agent, the patient, and the disease being treated. The antimicrobial stewardship team has an important role in facilitating IV to PO conversion, educating prescribers, and addressing any concerns or reservations that may interfere with timely transition from IV to PO administration.
BPharm, PharmD, is a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist for the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program, Pharmacy Department, The Ottawa Hospital, and a Clinical Investigator with the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Ottawa, Ontario.
Lizanne
L
Béïque
BScPhm, ACPR, FCSHP, is currently Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Lead with Public Health Ontario (on leave from her position as Antimicrobial Pharmacy Specialist with the Pharmacy Department, The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario.).
Rosemary
R
Zvonar
IV to PO transition; antimicrobial stewardship programs; antimicrobials; intravenous therapy; oral therapy; step-down