Resident
Buffone, Brittany, B.Sc., PharmD
Residency Program
LMPS
Project Title
Practice and Outcomes Evaluation of Empiric Antibiotics for Hospitalized Community Acquired Skin and Soft Tissue Infection
Investigators
Colin Lee B.Sc. Pharm, ACPR, Pharm.D., M.Sc., Cindy San, B.Sc. Pharm, ACPR, Pharm.D., Ishan Chaudhari, B.Sc. Pharm, ACPR, Victor Leung, M.D.
Abstract
At St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH), local guidelines for empiric antibiotic treatment of skin and soft tissue infections support the use of first generation cephalosporins to cover the most likely pathogen of non-purulent cellulitis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and cotrimoxazole, doxycycline or vancomycin to cover for the possible pathogen of purulent cellulitis, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Despite these guidelines, there’s been a notable increase in broad-spectrum antibiotics use for these infections. We conducted a retrospective chart review to determine empiric antibiotic prescribing patterns at SPH, prescriber adherence to local guidelines, and efficacy and safety outcomes for patients who received guideline concordant versus discordant therapy.
