The use of oral antimicrobial therapy in preference to intravenous antimicrobial therapy, where appropriate, is a key AMS intervention that can improve patient management and outcomes, save nurse administration time and reduce the environmental impact of administering the antimicrobial. This toolkit aims to provide local AMS teams with supports to implement a local intravenous to oral switch (IVOS) initiative and to act as local champions for IVOS.
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HSE AMRIC IVOS Information Sheet
- Information for local AMS teams on the background to IVOS work, IVOS criteria for antimicrobial therapy and a summary of antimicrobials with excellent oral bioavailability.
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HSE AMRIC IVOS Implementation Tool
- A checklist for local AMS teams to identify what actions need to be undertaken to promote IVOS.
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HSE AMRIC IVOS Presentation
- A generic IVOS presentation that can be utilised by AMS teams to promote IVOS at local teaching sessions.
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HSE AMRIC “STOP, or GO PO” Poster
- Metronidazole is the most commonly used antimicrobial with excellent oral bioavailability in Irish hospitals. This poster promotes the use of oral metronidazole, highlighting both the patient safety benefits and the environmental benefits. Administration of intravenous antimicrobials requires a significant amount of single use plastics in comparison to oral administration.
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HSE AMRIC Metronidazole Fact Sheet
- Provides information on when metronidazole should be utilised and reiterates that double anaerobic cover is rarely indicated.
