Parenteral antibiotic therapy in general practice in Italy: a direct observational study.
The aim of this study was to determine the characteristics of parenteral antimicrobial therapy (PAT) in the general practice setting in Italy, the characteristics of patients and the presence of possible external factors (induced prescriptions). 204 General Practitioners (GPs) enrolled during a one-year period the first ten patients to whom they prescribed a PAT, collecting data about clinical characteristics, compliance, outcome and the therapy prescribed or induced. Results indicate that 1,892 patients received a PAT. The use of PAT was preferred for elderly patients. In 55.2% of cases the site of infection was in the lower respiratory tract, followed by urinary tract (14%) and upper respiratory tract (12%). In 98% of cases the route of administration was intramuscular. The first motivation for PAT was in about 50% of cases the severity of the illness, afterward the prescription induced by a specialist in 16% of cases, and in 9% of cases the failure of oral antibiotic therapy.