Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

SSTIs can be defined as an inflammatory microbial invasion of the epidermis, dermis and subcutaneous tissues.2 the presence of bacteria over the skin surface or even on an ulcer doesn’t mean that this microbe is responsible for the pathology. Unless there are signs of inflammation over the skin surface, result of wound swab culture should be viewed with suspicion and all efforts should be undertaken to differentiate pathogen from a colonizer before hunting for the sensitivity pattern and commencing on a lengthy antibiotic regimen. Colonization doesn’t warrant antibiotics as a rule but infections may need it. Over use of antibiotics is a global problem, even in countries with good antibiotic stewardship policies. An excellent review article by Dryden on soft tissue infections, highlights the usage of antibiotics to treat MRSA colonization rather than infection.3