Epidemiology of Severe Skin and Skin-Structure Infections

Among patients hospitalized with such infections at a St. Louis teaching hospital in 2006 and 2007, most cases were healthcare associated.

Today, many hospitalized patients have had recent healthcare encounters that put them at risk for infections caused by multidrug-resistant microorganisms. Understanding the epidemiology of healthcare-associated (HA) infections is important for improving early antibiotic treatment — and thus outcomes. Toward this end, researchers performed a retrospective cohort study involving individuals with complicated skin and skin-structure infections (cSSSIs) who were admitted to a St. Louis hospital through the emergency department between April 2006 and December 2007.

Among these 717 patients, 527 (73.5%) had HA infections, characterized by hospitalization during the preceding year, use of antibiotics during the preceding 90 days, transfer from a nur…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health