A retrospective review of initial bisphosphonate infusion in an inpatient vs. outpatient setting for bisphosphonate naive patients

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and convenience of initial bisphosphonate infusion therapy in inpatient and outpatient settings for patients with low bone mineral density. Methods: All data were collected from retrospective chart reviews of heterogeneous groups of patients. Abnormal findings prior to the infusion and side effects during the infusion were documented. Patients were contacted following the infusion to discuss post-infusion adverse events. Results: The majority of both outpatients (80%, n = 44) and inpatients (50%, n = 27) did not experience any adverse events related to the infusion. Some patients reported minor adverse events that were expected. Only one of the inpatients had a severe adverse event (SAE) after the infusion. Conclusions: For patients at low risk for severe reactions to treatment, the infusion center appears to be a safe and possibly more convenient treatment setting for both the patient and the hospital, although more expensive for the patient at our institution.