AN AUDIT OF PATIENTS ADMITTED FOR HOME INTRAVENOUS THERAPY DIRECTLY FROM THE EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT

The Hospital in the Home Unit (HHU) provides home intravenous therapy to acute inpatients. The aim of this audit was to assess the practice of accepting patients for home intravenous therapy directly from the e mergency department by describing the frequency and type of clinical c onditions managed, and recording the outcome and adverse events of suc h admissions. Consecutive patient admissions to the HHU directly from the emergency department over a 15-month period were included. The pol icy of accepting patients for home intravenous therapy from the emerge ncy department will continue. Care with diagnosis and HHU assessment i s required. Complications should be expected, and a reliable on-call s ervice is essential.