No Antibiotics for Uncomplicated Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections

A randomized, placebo-controlled trial showed no benefit for antibiotic therapy after surgical incision and drainage of uncomplicated skin and soft-tissue abscesses.

Standard treatment for skin and soft-tissue abscesses has been incision and drainage and then use of an antibiotic (usually a β-lactam). Recent studies on antibiotic treatment of such infections have shown favorable outcomes even when methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was isolated and antibiotics without activity against MRSA were used. However, none of these studies were placebo-controlled.

Now, researchers have conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of oral cephalexin (400 mg 4 times daily for 7 days) in 166 patients who were seen at a San Francisco clinic between November 2004 and March 2005 for uncomplicated skin infections. None of the patients had incisional wounds extending into visceral tissue, bone or join…

Reviewing Author

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection

Thomas Glück, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsConsilium Infectiorum by InfectoPharm, Infection