Indoor treatment after failure of outdoor antibiotherapy.

From a theoretical point of view, initiating an outdoor antibiotherapy shou ld not lead to hospitalization. Yet we are regularly confronted with this s ituation, which is why, after an inquiry among 100 patients, we have tried to analyze the frequency causes and consequences of these failures of outdo or antibiotherapy. Through this study we have detected 70% of "real therape utics failures" tin relation with the antibiotherapy itself or with a false diagnosis). Most of these therapeutic failures (67%) could have been avoid ed. As well, antibiotherapy conducted before hospitalization directly hampe rs in-hospital care (in 14% of cases). (C) 1999 Elsevier, Paris.