Outpatient antibiotic fills low after patient-directed discharge for endocarditis

A national Medicaid cohort study (2016-2022) of 19,808 adults with drug use-associated infective endocarditis found that 27.9% left the hospital via patient-directed discharge (PDD). Only 17.1% of PDD patients filled an antibiotic prescription within 3 days versus 44.2% of non-PDD patients; PDD was associated with increased 30-day readmission, while antibiotic fill was associated with reduced readmission, with a larger reduction seen among PDD patients than non-PDD patients.

Most relevant for: Adults with drug use-associated infective endocarditis, particularly those who leave the hospital via patient-directed discharge.

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