Skin infections and antibiotic stewardship: analysis of emergency department prescribing practices, 2007-2010.

ABSTRACT:

Introduction

National guidelines suggest that most skin abscesses do not require antibiotics, and that cellulitis antibiotics should target streptococci, not community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). The objective of this study is to describe antimicrobial treatment of skin infections in U.S. emergency departments (EDs) and analyze potential quality measures.

Methods

The National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) is a 4-stage probability sample of all non-federal U.S. ED visits. In 2007 NHAMCS started recording whether incision and drainage was performed at ED visits. We conducted a retrospective analysis, pooling 2007-2010 data, identified skin infections using diagnostic codes, and identified abscesses by performance of incision and drainage. We generated nationa

SUBMITTER: Pallin DJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4025524 | biostudies-literature | 2014 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature