Table 2.
Organisation of OPAT care compared between hospitals with and without an OPAT program.
| Characteristic | Total a (n = 55) | With OPAT Program a (n = 22) | Without OPAT Program a (n = 33) | p-Value b |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Location of first dose of antimicrobials c | ||||
| At home for outpatients | 8 (14.5%) | 3 (13.6%) | 5 (15.2%) | 0.876 |
| At the day care facility for outpatients | 19 (34.5%) | 13 (59.1%) | 6 (18.2%) | 0.002 |
| At the emergency department when hospital admission is unnecessary | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | n.a. |
| In the patient ward before discharge | 55 (100.0%) | 22 (100.0%) | 33 (100.0%) | n.a. |
| Intravenous access device (<7 days) most frequently used | 0.794 | |||
| Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) | 26 (47.3%) | 11 (50.0%) | 15 (45.5%) | |
| Peripheral intravenous catheter | 23 (41.8%) | 8 (36.4%) | 15 (45.5%) | |
| Central vascular access device (other than PICC) | 2 (3.6%) | 1 (4.5%) | 1 (3.0%) | |
| Midline | 1 (1.8%) | 0 (0%) | 1 (3.0%) | |
| Not applicable d | 3 (5.5%) | 2 (9.1%) | 1 (3.0%) | |
| Intravenous access device (>7 days) most frequently used | 0.329 | |||
| Peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) | 48 (87.3%) | 18 (81.8%) | 30 (90.9%) | |
| Peripheral intravenous catheter | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | |
| Central vascular access device (other than PICC) | 3 (5.5%) | 1 (4.5%) | 2 (6.1%) | |
| Midline | 4 (7.3%) | 3 (13.6%) | 1 (3.0%) | |
| Infusion administration method most frequently used | 0.246 | |||
| Electronic infusion pump | 31 (56.4%) | 10 (45.5%) | 21 (63.6%) | |
| Elastomeric device | 24 (43.6%) | 12 (54.5%) | 12 (36.4%) | |
| Presence of in- and exclusion criteria for OPAT | 31 (56.4%) | 19 (86.4%) | 12 (36.4%) | <0.001 |
| Presence of a protocol for laboratory follow-up | 34 (61.8%) | 19 (86.4%) | 15 (45.5%) | 0.002 |
| Consultation with infectious disease physician mandatory before start OPAT | 12 (21.8%) | 7 (31.8%) | 5 (15.2%) | 0.143 |
| Start of OPAT reported to general physician or geriatrist | 37 (67.3%) | 15 (68.2%) | 22 (66.7%) | 0.907 |
| Possibility of self-administered OPAT by patient or carer | 16 (29.1%) | 8 (36.4%) | 8 (24.2%) | 0.332 |
| Presence of in- and exclusion criteria for S-OPAT e | 4 (25.0%) | 2 (25.0%) | 2 (25.0%) | 1.000 |
| Presence of a training program for S-OPAT | 3 (18.8%) | 0 (0%) | 3 (37.5%) | 0.055 |
| Percentage of patients performing S-OPAT, median (IQR) | 5.0% (2.3–10.0) | 5.0% (4.0–17.8) | 3.5% (1.0–10.0) | 0.442 |
a Values are n (%) unless otherwise indicated; b Significance of the differences between hospitals with and without an OPAT program; c Multiple answers possible; d Not applicable: Three hospitals indicated that they did not perform OPAT for less than seven days; e Self-administered outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy.