Referring clinicians should look for the closest available OPAT team.

OPAT/COpAT

The Whittington Health (WH) outpatient antimicrobial therapy (COpAT/OPAT) multi-disciplinary team (MDT) looks after and manages patients with complex/chronic infections that are well enough to leave hospital, but still need intravenous/or complex anti-infectives, or anti-infectives that require regular monitoring.

The MDT reviews the type of anti-infectives patients need and how they receive these treatments (using the modalities listed below). Patients are discussed in a weekly meeting where their blood tests, response to treatment and any scans/tests that they require are reviewed.

Team

The WH OPAT/COpAT service is a consult service which works together with parent/referring teams to treat patients using an MDT approach. The team consists of:

• one infectious diseases and microbiology consultant
• one infection pharmacist and trainee advanced clinical practitioner
• one ambulatory care nurse.

Modalities of delivery

The modalities of delivery for the WH OPAT service are:

• ambulatory care
• virtual ward 
• district nurses
• self-administration.

Nurse-filled elastomerics

WH can provide antimicrobials via daily elastomeric devices. Elastomeric device trained nurses can administer/change pumps either in ambulatory care or via a virtual ward in the patient's home.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusions

• aged 16+
• continuing need for intravenous anti-infectives/complex oral anti-infectives
• medically fit for discharge
• ability to understand OPAT/COpAT and give informed consent
• support from family or carers, particularly for elderly patients or those with multiple co-morbidities
• suitable environment for intravenous antimicrobial administration in the patient’s home if required
• ability to attend OPAT/COpAT clinic as required
• access to a telephone for rapid communication under COpAT monitoring.

How to Refer