emDocs - December 14, 2018 - By Anton Helman
"This is EM Cases main episode podcast 109 Skin & Soft Tissue Infections – Cellulits, Skin Abscess & Necrotizing Fasciitis Myths and Misperceptions
Why do EM physicians spend so little time talking about the things we see the most often? You may not be as energized for cellulitis as you are for an ED thoracotomy, but skin and soft tissue infections are encountered on nearly every shift – and you can do a lot more good for a lot more patients by recognizing and treating these common infections the right way. With a cellulitis misdiagnosis rate of up to 34%, there is definitely room for improvement. In this episode we ask Dr. Andrew Morris, ID specialist and Dr. Melanie Baimel EM specialist: How do you distinguish cellulitis from the myriad of cellulitis mimics? At what point do we consider treatment failure for cellulitis? What is the best antibiotic choice for patients who are allergic to cephalosporins? Which patients with cellulitis or skin abscess require IV antibiotics? Coverage for MRSA? What is the best and most resource wise method for analgesia before I&D of a skin abscess? What is the best method for drainage of a skin abscess? Which patients with skin abscess require a swab? Irrigation? Packing? Antibiotics? With the goal of sharpening your diagnostic skills when it comes to skin and soft tissue infections – there are lots of cellulitis mimics – and choosing wisely when it comes to treatment, we’ll be discussing best practices for management of cellulitis and skin abscesses, when to cover for MRSA, how to pick up nec fasc before it’s too late and a lot more…"