Abstract:
Introduction: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are a common indication for Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) and often involved prolonged intravenous (IV) treatments. A theory-informed Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) intervention was implemented to optimize antibiotic duration and promote IV-to-oral switching in OPAT patients with UTIs.
Methods: This pre-post quasi-experimental single-center study included adults with UTIs managed through OPAT. The intervention was designed using behaviour change techniques, and structured as a bundle of quality improvement strategies to optimize antibiotic prescribing.
Primary outcomes: [1] the proportion of patients receiving appropriate treatment duration and [2] the proportion of those with microbiological confirmation and an oral option, who were switched to oral.
Secondary outcomes: adverse events, 90-day recurrence and readmission, healthcare resource consumption.
Results: 314 patients were included. Post-intervention patients were more often male, and with a history of recurrent UTI. Other baseline characteristics were comparable. Appropriate antibiotic duration increased from 44.4% (baseline) to 83.3% (intervention period) (p≤0.001), IV-to-oral switch rates from 62.8% to 85.7% (p≤0.001). In adjusted analyses, the intervention was independently associated with appropriate duration (OR 6.70, 95% CI 3.79-11.85), IV-to-oral switching (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.56-8.19), fewer 90-days UTI recurrences (OR 0.41, 95% CI 0.21-0.80) and no increase in 90-days readmissions. A significant reduction in healthcare cost was achieved with a median difference of -648.8€ (95% CI -1050.0 to -247.7).
Conclusions: A structured AMS intervention for UTIs in OPAT improved appropriate antibiotic duration, increased IV-to-oral switching, and reduced healthcare costs without compromising clinical safety. Behavior-informed stewardship strategies can optimize antimicrobial use in OPAT care.
Reference:Gómez-Zorrilla S, Sabaté RA, Montesinos IL, Brasè A, Petit I, Rodríguez-Alarcón A, Echeverría-Esnal D, Rodríguez-Cabale G, Mesa SL, Cabrero EL, García-Alzorriz E, Cots F, Durán-Jordà X, Grau S, Sorli L, Horcajada JP, Rodríguez-Baño J; PROA-HMAR. Impact of an Antimicrobial Stewardship intervention on clinical and economic outcomes in Outpatient Parenteral Antimicrobial Therapy (OPAT) for urinary tract infections: a quasi-experimental study. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2026 Aug 10:107955. doi: 10.1016/j.ijantimicag.2026.107955. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 42575221.