Skip to main content
eScholarship
Open Access Publications from the University of California

Scholarly Works (2 results)

  • Article
  • Peer Reviewed
Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health, Volume 16, Issue 5 (2015)

Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are commonly evaluated in the emergency department (ED). Our objectives were to identify predictors of SSTI treatment failure within one week post-discharge in patients with cutaneous abscesses, as well as to identify predictors of recurrence within three months in that proportion of participants.Methods: This was a sub-analysis of a parent study, conducted at two EDs, evaluating a new, nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) for Staphylococcus aureus in ED patients. Patients ≥18 years receiving incision and drainage (I&D) were eligible. Patient-reported outcome data on improvement of fever, swelling, erythema, drainage, and pain were collected using a structured abstraction form at one week, one month, and three months post ED visit. Results: We enrolled 272 participants (20 from a feasibility study and 252 in this trial), of which 198 (72.8%) completed one-week follow up. Twenty-seven additional one-week outcomes were obtained through medical record review rather than by the one-week follow-up phone call. One hundred ninety-three (73%) patients completed either the one- or three-month follow up. Most patients recovered from their initial infection within one week, with 10.2% of patients reporting one-week treatment failure. The odds of treatment failure were 66% lower for patients who received antibiotics following I&D at their initial visit. Overall SSTI recurrence rate was 28.0% (95% CI [21.6%-34.4%]) and associated with contact with someone infected with methicillin resistant S. aureus (MRSA), previous SSTI history, or clinician use of wound packing. Conclusion: Treatment failure was reduced by antibiotic use, whereas SSTI recurrence was associated with prior contact, SSTI, or use of packing.

    Cover page: Treatment Failure Outcomes for Emergency Department Patients with Skin and Soft Tissue InfectionsCreative Commons 'BY' version 4.0 license
    • Article
    • Peer Reviewed
    UC Davis Previously Published Works (2015)

    Objective

    To determine whether real-time availability of rapid molecular results of Staphylococcus aureus would impact emergency department clinician antimicrobial selection for adults with cutaneous abscesses.

    Design

    We performed a prospective, randomized controlled trial comparing a rapid molecular test with standard of care culture-based testing. Follow-up telephone calls were made at between 2 and 7 days, 1 month, and 3 months after discharge.

    Setting

    Two urban, academic emergency departments.

    Patients

    Patients at least 18 years old presenting with a chief complaint of abscess, cellulitis, or insect bite and receiving incision and drainage were eligible. Seven hundred seventy-eight people were assessed for eligibility and 252 met eligibility criteria.

    Methods

    Clinician antibiotic selection and clinical outcomes were evaluated. An ad hoc outcome of test performance was performed.

    Results

    We enrolled 252 patients and 126 were randomized to receive the rapid test. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus-positive patients receiving rapid test results were prescribed beta-lactams more often than controls (absolute difference, 14.5% [95% CI, 1.1%-30.1%]) whereas methicillin-resistant S. aureus-positive patients receiving rapid test results were more often prescribed anti-methicillin-resistant S. aureus antibiotics (absolute difference, 21.5% [95% CI, 10.1%-33.0%]). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in 1-week or 3-month clinical outcomes.

    Conclusion

    Availability of rapid molecular test results after incision and drainage was associated with more-targeted antibiotic selection. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01523899.
      Cover page: A Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Use of Rapid Molecular Testing for Staphylococcus aureus for Patients With Cutaneous Abscesses in the Emergency Department With Standard of Care
      Top