OPAT means Outpatient parenteral ­antimicrobial therapy

Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) is the administration of at least 2 consecutive days of parenteral (usually intravenous) antimicrobial therapy without an overnight hospital stay. It is reserved for those patients with infection in whom parenteral antimicrobial therapy is required but who otherwise could be safely managed without hospital admission.

An OPAT service should be carefully designed and delivered to ensure safe and effective patient care. As such it is essential that a patient’s other social and healthcare needs can be managed safely in the home environment.

An aim of OPAT ist

Allow earlier hospital discharge for selected patients with deep seated infections requiring parenteral therapy e.g. osteomyelitis, endocarditis and device-related infections. [BASC]

There are two types of treatment:

- Patients who need antibiotics once a day

- Patients who need continuous administration of antibiotics

For the second group an  elastomeric pump will be used.