Inpatient Antibiotics for Skin Infections

Cellulitis and skin abscesses are the second most common reason for hospitalization due to infection. Inappropriately long hospitalizations and unnecessary use of antibiotics that are active against gram-negative or anaerobic organisms lead to excessive costs and antibiotic resistance. Researchers at a Colorado hospital assessed the effect of implementing a clinical practice guideline (CPG), developed by a multidisciplinary team. The CPG recommended 7-day duration of antimicrobial therapy (except for patients who were nonresponsive), plain radiographs, and blood cultures; it discouraged use of superficial wound cultures, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, and antibiotics that are active against gram-negative or anaerobic ba…