ABSTRACT
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are a common cause for antibiotic administration, hospitalization, and disability in the United States. The frequency of soft tissue infections has increased significantly in the last two and a half decades, with the annual number of emergency department visits expanding from 1.2 million to 3.4 million between 1993 and 2005. Most SSTIs are mild to moderate in severity and classified as uncomplicated cellulitis or superficial abscesses. Most do not require the involvement of a surgeon. Uncomplicated cellulitis can be treated with antibiotics alone. The majority of cases of uncomplicated cellulitis are caused Gram-positive organisms, mostly by streptococci, and respond to Gram-positive antibiotic therapy. The increase in SSTIs presenting to emergency departments that has occurred primarily related to an increase in skin abscesses and is associated with a shift in SSTI epidemiology.
