A 9-Point Risk Assessment for Patients Who Inject Drugs and Require Intravenous Antibiotics: Focusing Inpatient Resources on Patients at Greatest Risk of Ongoing Drug Use

A 9-point risk assessment identified persons with a history of injection drug use who were safe for discharge. Low-risk patients were discharged with outpatient antibiotics; others continued inpatient treatment. Use of the assessment reduced the mean length of stay by 20 days and total direct cost by 33%, creating capacity for an additional 333 patients.