Posters

Academic Level (Author 1)

Medical Student

Discipline/Specialty (Author 1)

Internal Medicine

Discipline Track

Clinical Science

Abstract

Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are characterized by microbial invasion of the skin layers and are common in various healthcare settings. A study conducted between 2005-2010 in the United States, found a combined total of 2.3 million cases of SSTIs in ambulatory and inpatient settings. This was higher than the rates of pneumonia and urinary tract infections during the same time period. Another study found that between 2000 and 2012, there was a 40% increase (2.4 million to 3.3 million) in cases of SSTIs. Our aim is to study the primary uses of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam and their average days of therapy in the treatment of SSTIs.

Objective: Our aim is to study the primary uses of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam and their average days of therapy in the treatment of SSTIs.

Methods: Data was collected for during January of 2019 of all administrations of antimicrobial use in a local hospital, which included the emergency department, inpatient admissions, and intensive care unit. These data points were sorted by antimicrobial, dates administered, and then by their indicated use. Indicated uses were then tallied on a histogram and an average days on therapy was calculated per patient.

Discussion: Our analysis illustrates that the top three indicated uses of vancomycin was other, sepsis, and SSTIs, in descending order. The average days of therapy per patient for use of vancomycin in the treatment of SSTIs was 2.97 days. Piperacillin/tazobactam similarly was used primarily for sepsis, gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal infections, and SSTIs, in descending order.

Conclusion: Our analysis shows that the average days of therapy for use of vancomycin in the treatment of SSTIs was 2.97. Study limitations include the limited, one-month duration of the data set. Our plan is to expand this work using data from a 12-month period on use of antimicrobials in the same hospital. We intend to compare the average days of therapy for different indications (i.e sepsis) and compare to national averages. We hope to interpret these data in the context of guideline recommendations on duration of intravenous therapy for SSTIs, so as to surmise what differences may exist between guidelines and clinical practice.

Presentation Type

Poster

Share

COinS
 

Antibiotic Stewardship in Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Introduction: Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) are characterized by microbial invasion of the skin layers and are common in various healthcare settings. A study conducted between 2005-2010 in the United States, found a combined total of 2.3 million cases of SSTIs in ambulatory and inpatient settings. This was higher than the rates of pneumonia and urinary tract infections during the same time period. Another study found that between 2000 and 2012, there was a 40% increase (2.4 million to 3.3 million) in cases of SSTIs. Our aim is to study the primary uses of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam and their average days of therapy in the treatment of SSTIs.

Objective: Our aim is to study the primary uses of vancomycin and piperacillin/tazobactam and their average days of therapy in the treatment of SSTIs.

Methods: Data was collected for during January of 2019 of all administrations of antimicrobial use in a local hospital, which included the emergency department, inpatient admissions, and intensive care unit. These data points were sorted by antimicrobial, dates administered, and then by their indicated use. Indicated uses were then tallied on a histogram and an average days on therapy was calculated per patient.

Discussion: Our analysis illustrates that the top three indicated uses of vancomycin was other, sepsis, and SSTIs, in descending order. The average days of therapy per patient for use of vancomycin in the treatment of SSTIs was 2.97 days. Piperacillin/tazobactam similarly was used primarily for sepsis, gastrointestinal/intra-abdominal infections, and SSTIs, in descending order.

Conclusion: Our analysis shows that the average days of therapy for use of vancomycin in the treatment of SSTIs was 2.97. Study limitations include the limited, one-month duration of the data set. Our plan is to expand this work using data from a 12-month period on use of antimicrobials in the same hospital. We intend to compare the average days of therapy for different indications (i.e sepsis) and compare to national averages. We hope to interpret these data in the context of guideline recommendations on duration of intravenous therapy for SSTIs, so as to surmise what differences may exist between guidelines and clinical practice.

 

To view the content in your browser, please download Adobe Reader or, alternately,
you may Download the file to your hard drive.

NOTE: The latest versions of Adobe Reader do not support viewing PDF files within Firefox on Mac OS and if you are using a modern (Intel) Mac, there is no official plugin for viewing PDF files within the browser window.