The effect of early switching from intravenous to oral antibiotic therapy: a randomized controlled trial

• Main Authors: Anh Dung Nguyen (Author), Tuong-A (Author), Minh Hoang Tran (Author), Hong Tham Pham (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: GarVal Editorial Ltda., 2021-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0719-4250
• Keywords: antibiotic; effectiveness; intravenous-to-oral; switch therapy; Therapeutics. Pharmacology; RM1-950; Pharmacy and materia medica; RS1-441
• Source: Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research, Vol 9, Iss 5, Pp 695-703 (2021)

Context: The benefit of early switching from intravenous (IV) to oral (PO) antibiotic therapy has been controversial during the last few decades. Aims: To evaluate the effect of early switching from IV to PO antibiotics on treatment outcomes in surgical patients at one of the largest public hospitals. Methods: Two hundred and nine patients admitted for a therapeutic antibiotic to orthopedic and general surgery conditions were randomly assigned into three groups: control (non-switching) (n = 69), early switching within 48-72 hours (n = 66), and late switching after 72 hours (n = 74). The rate of effectiveness, length of hospital stay, and cost were recorded and analyzed. Results: Treatment effectiveness was not significantly different among the three groups. However, the length of stay and cost were found reduced in early switching group, with a decrease of 2-3 days of hospital stay and 30-40% of total healthcare spending compared to late or non-switching protocol (p<0.001). Conclusions: Early switching does not compromise the outcome of antibiotic treatment while this protocol is superior to non-switching and late-switching in terms of length of hospital stay and cost of treatment. Early switching should be considered for surgery patients to optimize the treatment.