Intravenous flucloxacillin treatment is associated with a high incidence of hypokalaemia.

Intravenous flucloxacillin is one of the most frequently used high-dose penicillin therapies in hospitalized patients, forming the cornerstone treatment of invasive Staphylococcus aureus infection. Being a nonreabsorbable anion, flucloxacillin has been suggested to cause hypokalaemia, although the frequency and magnitude of this unwanted effect is unknown. In a retrospective cohort, we investigated the incidence and extent of hypokalaemia after initiation of intravenous flucloxacillin or ceftriaxone therapy.

An electronic trigger tool to optimise intravenous to oral antibiotic switch: a controlled, interrupted time series study.

Background: Timely switch from intravenous (iv) antibiotics to oral therapy is a key component of antimicrobial stewardship programs in order to improve patient safety, promote early discharge and reduce costs. We have introduced a time-efficient and easily implementable intervention that relies on a computerized trigger tool, which identifies patients who are candidates for an iv to oral antibiotic switch.

Methods: The intervention was introduced on all internal medicine wards in a teaching hospital.