The hidden cost of dalbavancin: OPAT RN time required in coordination for persons who use drugs.

Background: Serious infections in persons who use drugs (PWUD) are rising. Dalbavancin, due to its extended half-life, offers an alternative treatment for patients in whom standard of care antibiotics are not feasible or practical, allowing for reduced hospital days and the avoidance of central line placement or the use of complex oral regimens. Objectives: We aim to describe the time and effort required for coordination of dalbavancin courses by outpatient registered nurses (RNs) and other outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy (OPAT) staff. Design and methods: We conducted a retrospective review of adult patients with documented substance use who received at least one dose of dalbavancin and quantified the number of interventions required by our OPAT RNs and other OPAT staff for coordination of dalbavancin courses. Additionally, detailed data on time spent per intervention were prospectively collected for a 1-month period. Results: A total of 52 patients with 53 dalbavancin courses were included. Most substance use was intravenous. Infectious diagnoses included bone and joint infections (61%) and endocarditis (7%), in addition to skin and soft tissue infections (19%). Infections were most commonly caused by Conclusions: The ease of dalbavancin administration does not eliminate the need for extensive RN coordination for successful administration of doses in the outpatient setting for PWUD. This need should be accounted for in program staffing to help increase successful dalbavancin course completion.