Outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy.

Clinical studies have shown that outpatient administration of parenteral antibiotics is sage, cost-effective and practical. The development of new antibiotics with prolonged half-lives, such as ceftriaxone or cefotetan, has facilitated outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy (OPAT). Good OPAT management requires coordination of physicians, nurses, pharmacists and health care administrators, and the establishment of firm guidelines. A variety of infections can be treated through OPAT, including osteomyelitis and soft tissue infections, chronic urinary tract infections, and ear, nose and throat infections.