Infection control and outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy

Outpatient procedures have become more complex, requiring outpatient providers to offer technical procedures in the home, office, and clinic. This shift in health care has brought about the need for staff members to become proficient in a variety of technical procedures that were once done only in the hospital setting. Outpatient i.v. therapy has caused home health care agencies, physicians' offices, and clinics to seek education and training regarding i.v. therapy and to develop basic infection-control guidelines and guidelines related to the insertion and maintenance of i.v. devices. The goals of the outpatient provider are to prevent i.v.-related complications and to provide quality patient care. These can be accomplished by strict adherence to sound infection-control guidelines and routine monitoring of procedure techniques and complications of care. Outpatient providers may wish to seek expertise and guidance from hospital infection-control personnel, infectious diseases specialists, or other infection-control consultants to meet the demands of the complexity of outpatient care.