Table 1.
Demographic and clinical characteristics of patients discharged on oral antibiotics
| Pre-intervention period n=300 a |
Intervention period n=200 a |
|
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (standard deviation) | 52.8 (15.8) | 52.6 (17.8) |
| Male | 171 (57) | 110 (55) |
| Comorbidities | ||
| Diabetes mellitus | 87 (29) | 66 (33) |
| Antibiotic use within 6 months | 67 (22) | 57 (29) |
| COPD | 48 (16) | 36 (18) |
| Hospitalization within 90 days | 46 (15) | 33 (17) |
| HIV infection | 17 (6) | 3 (2) |
| Pregnancy | 13 (4) | 6 (3) |
| Cirrhosis | 13 (4) | 11 (6) |
| History of multi-drug resistant organism b | 12 (4) | 5 (3) |
| End-stage renal disease | 9 (3) | 5 (3) |
| Failed outpatient antibiotics c | 17 (6) | 7 (4) |
| Hospital length of stay, median days (IQR) | 4 (3–5) | 4 (3–6) |
| ICU admission | 53 (18) | 35 (18) |
| Infectious Diseases consultation | 42 (14) | 29 (15) |
| Indications for discharge antibiotics | ||
| Urinary tract infection | 72 (24) | 42 (21) |
| Community-acquired pneumonia | 52 (17) | 35 (18) |
| Skin and soft tissue infection | 62 (21) | 34 (17) |
| Gastrointestinal infection | 46 (15) | 22 (11) |
| Osteoarticular infection | 22 (7) | 16 (8) |
| COPD exacerbation d | 23 (8) | 36 (18) |
| Head and neck infection | 15 (5) | 18 (9) |
| Bacteremia | 15 (5) | 9 (5) |
| Other | 40 (13) | 26 (13) |
| ≥2 indications for therapy | 37 (12) | 25 (13) |
a
No significant differences between pre-intervention and intervention cohort (p>0.05 for all subgroups) with the exception of COPD exacerbation
b
Defined as prior infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, vancomycin resistant Enterococci, or extended spectrum beta-lactamase producing Enterobacteriaceae.
c
Defined as lack of clinical response to outpatient therapy requiring hospital admission.
d
COPD exacerbations significantly more frequent in intervention cohort (p=0.001) IQR, interquartile range; ICU, intensive care unit; COPD, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; HIV, human immunodeficiency virus