Table 2.

Proposed treatment aims and OPAT service outcomes

	Description
Treatment aim
cure	To complete an agreed OPAT duration of therapy on either intravenous and/or complicated oral antimicrobialsa with no requirement for long-term antimicrobial therapy.
improvement	To complete an agreed OPAT duration of therapy on either intravenous and/or complicated oral antimicrobials (a) as part of an agreed surgical infection management plan with further surgery planned or (b) where there is a requirement for subsequent long-term or an extended course of oral suppressive antimicrobial therapy, or (c) where potentially infective prosthetic material is still in situ.
palliation	To undertake a course of OPAT on either intravenous and/or complicated oral antimicrobials where there are agreed ceilings of care due to comorbidities, with death being the likely outcome.
OPAT outcome
treatment aim attained—uncomplicated	Completed OPAT therapy as per treatment aim with: no unplanned changes in antimicrobial agent. no adverse events. no planned or unplanned readmission related to the current OPAT episode. no readmission of ≥24 h for unrelated event (i.e. day case/overnight stay for another medical problem allowed).
treatment aim attained—complicated	Completed OPAT therapy as per treatment aim but with one or more of the following: unplanned changes in antimicrobial agent. any adverse event including readmission for <24 h related to the current OPAT episode.
treatment aim not attained	failure to complete planned OPAT therapy for any reason other than readmission due to unrelated event. worsening of infection requiring readmission. readmission for ≥24 h for any cause related to OPAT, including adverse events.
indeterminate	Readmission for ≥24 h due to unrelated event.
death	Death due to any cause, except palliation.

^aComplicated oral antimicrobials refers to oral regimens that require specific monitoring or are associated with particular risk of toxicity.