A pilot project of expert nurses for the follow-up of complex intravenous antimicrobial treatment

•Nurses can be precious allies in the fight against antimicrobial resistance.•In a pilot project, three expert nurses were trained for complex antimicrobial treatment follow-up.•At one year, they performed 621 consultations, mostly (64%) for bone and joint infections.•No severe adverse event related to the programme was reported.•Patients, infectious diseases physicians, and expert nurses reported high-level of satisfaction. To report a pilot project of expert nurses for outpatient parenteral antimicrobial treatment (OPAT) follow-up. Three nurses with specific training on antibiotics started a state-funded programme including: i) consultations for OPAT follow-up; ii) hotline for satellite hospitals; iii) peer training. Patients’ data were prospectively collected. A representative sample of patients and physicians was interviewed to learn about their opinion on the project. From December 2020 to December 2021, 118 patients (median age 66.5 years [52–75], male-to-female ratio 2.5) were enrolled, for a total of 621 consultations. Patients were mostly on OPAT for bone and joint infections (n = 76, 64 %) and cardiovascular infections (n = 16, 14 %), for a median duration of 29 days [22–57]. Eleven patients (9 %) required unplanned hospital admissions, and three experienced treatment failure. Most patients (21/22) and physicians in charge (10/10) reported a high level of satisfaction. Nurses may be important actors for OPAT follow-up.