Outpatient Versus Inpatient Intravenous Antimicrobial Therapy: A Population-Based Observational Cohort Study of Adverse Events and Costs.

Background: Bacterial infections such as osteomyelitis and endocarditis routinely require several weeks of treatment with intravenous (IV) antimicrobials. Outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) programs allow patients to receive IV antimicrobials in an outpatient clinic or at home. The outcomes and costs of such treatments remain uncertain.