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Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Clinical Pathways promote evidence based, safe, and high-value care for patients by providing clinical recommendations and standard processes.  They are developed by multidisciplinary committees of subject matter experts, informed by methodical review of available evidence and consensus among committee members. 

Clinical Pathways: 

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Inclusion:

  • Patients > 60 days of age with suspected skin and soft tissue infection.

Exclusion:  

  • Less than 60 days of age. 
  • Suspected sepsis.
  • Animal or human bites. 
  • Surgical site infections. 
  • Suspected toxin-mediated reaction.
  • Immunocompromised, including steroid use >14 days.
  • Growth of multi-drug resistant organism in the past.
  • Deeper infections (myositis, fasciitis).
  • Necrotizing infections.
  • SSTI infection of face, tooth, eye, perineum, operative sites.
  • Peri-rectal and pilonidal abscesses

Committee members and representation involved in the development: 

  • Megan Hamner, MD | Infectious Diseases | Committee Chair  
  • Rana El Feghaly, MD, MSCI | Infectious Diseases | Committee Member  
  • Erin Scott, DO | Emergency Medicine | Committee Member  
  • Jessica Markham, MD, MSc | Hospital Medicine | Committee Member  
  • Amanda Nedved, MD | Urgent Care | Committee Member  

Patient and Family Representation:

  • Angela Knackstedt, BSN, RN, NPD-BC | Equity and Diversity | Committee Member  

MIT Committee Members:

  • Tracy Taylor | Medical Informatics | Committee Member  
  • George Abraham, MD | Medical Informatics | Committee Member 
  • Amber Lanning | Medical Informatics | Committee Member 
  • Brandan Kennedy, MD | Medical Informatics | Committee Member  

EBP Committee Members:

  • Katie Berg, MD, FAAP | Evidence Based Practice & Hospital Medicine | Committee member  
  • Jarrod Dusin, MS, RD, LD, CPHQ | Evidence Based Practice | Committee member 

Publication dates:

  • Finalized date: 5/2022 
  • Next expected revision date: 5/2025 

If you have any question regarding this content, or identify a broken link, please email evidencebasedpractice@cmh.edu. 

These pathways do not establish a standard of care to be followed in every case. It is recognized that each case is different, and those individuals involved in providing health care are expected to use their judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the patient based on the circumstances existing at the time. It is impossible to anticipate all possible situations that may exist and to prepare a pathway for each. Accordingly, these pathways should guide care with the understanding that departures from them may be required at times.

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