What are the criteria for transitioning from inpatient antibiotic therapy to OPAT for patients with IE?
Before OPAT is considered, most patients with IE should first be evaluated and stabilized in the hospital; only rarely can some patients be treated entirely as outpatients. Patients selected for OPAT should be at low risk for the complications of IE, the most frequent of which are heart failure and systemic emboli. The timing for transition from inpatient antibiotic therapy to OPAT and patient exclusion criteria have been critically evaluated by Andrews and von Reyn.326 These guidelines are based on the local availability of medical care in the outpa- tient setting and risk factors and timing of potential adverse outcomes that would be best managed in the inpatient setting.