Do you routinely observe inpatients for 24 hours after transitioning from IV empiric antibiotics to an oral regimen prior to discharge when the source of infection is unclear?

To be sure, this is a big question with much nuance and should be broken down into component parts. To begin with, the lack of a source is not, in and of itself, a clear justification for continued hospitalization. What should drive the decision for discharge is established clinical stability and an...

Many important considerations have been addressed by Dr. @Dr. First Last. My additional input is that the transition from IV to PO antibiotics is not a clinical requirement. In situations where no identified source is present, and the role of antibiotics is not convincing, this can represent an impo...

I do not, for the reasons described below. I might consider doing so if the patient has a history of significant PO intolerance with the desired antibiotic. If that were the case, however, I would not add a day to the stay but try instead to anticipate the discharge date and make the change while th...