Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) Program for Infective Endocarditis in North Queensland

Abstract

Optimal treatment of infective endocarditis is an ongoing challenge. Evidence from Victoria in Australia has suggested outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is safe for use in infective endocarditis (IE). However, data from Townsville and Darwin regions demonstrated solution temperatures from home intravenous infusions significantly differ from stability data, tested at room temperature [1]. It is not clear if this is clinically significant; therefore, it is prudent to examine the outcomes of hospital readmission and mortality of OPAT patient cohorts living in high temperature climates.