Intravenous vs. oral antibiotics for serious bone infections in children

Children with osteomyelitis (a serious bacterial bone infection) who were discharged from the hospital to complete several weeks of outpatient antibiotic therapy with an oral medication did not have a higher rate of treatment failure than children who received their antibiotic therapy intravenously, according to a study published online by JAMA Pediatrics.

How children receive their outpatient antibiotic therapy impacts both them and their caregivers. While a peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) is effective at delivering high concentrations of antibiotic it can result in serious complications such as infections and blood clots. Oral medication is an appealing alternative but clinical trials have not documented its effectiveness for osteomyelitis, according to the study background.

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Source: Science Daily