OPAT service (outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy)

About

Our outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) team manage the delivery of intravenous (into the vein or IV) antibiotics to patients who are medically stable, within their own homes.

This eliminates the need to admit patients whose only reason to stay in hospital is to receive IV antibiotic therapy. All OPAT patients continue to have their medical condition and therapy closely supervised by a multidisciplinary team. We have a proven record that this service contributes to reducing a patient’s length of stay in hospital, promotes early discharges and improves patient experiences.

Receiving IV antibiotics at home, rather than as an inpatient, improves quality of life for patients and reduces the risk of hospital-acquired infection. Feedback from OPAT patients is overwhelmingly positive, citing the benefits of receiving treatment at home, the ability to return to work, and the care, support and expertise of the OPAT team.

Conditions and treatments

Common conditions we are able to treat through the OPAT service include:

• cellulitis
• pyelonephritis
• lung abscesses
• cerebral abscesses
• empyema
• osteomyelitis
• prosthetic joint infection/infection of other prosthetic implanted material
• other infections

Additional information

Clinical trials and research

Our infectious diseases team are involved in specialist research in the areas of tuberculosis, sepsis and healthcare-associated infection.

Further online resources

• TB alert
• Tuberculosis