title: Treatment of skin and soft-tissue infections.
abstract: Bacterial infections of the skin range from mild pyodermas to life-threatening necrotizing infections. Pyodermas are most often due to Staphylococcus aureus or beta-hemolytic Streptococcus sp, whereas infections associated with skin ulcers of the extremities, infections following trauma or surgery, and histotoxic necrotizing infections may involve a large number of additional pathogens, including Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas sp, enterococci, and anaerobes. Management of bacterial skin and soft-tissue infections includes appropriate surgical drainage or excision of infected tissue and antimicrobial therapy. The combination of piperacillin and the beta-lactamase inhibitor tazobactam is a newly released antimicrobial, which has excellent in vitro activity against the vast majority of pathogens involved in skin infections. Two multicenter studies recently evaluated the efficacy and safety of piperacillin/tazobactam in the therapy of skin and soft-tissue infections in hospitalized patients. Piperacillin/tazobactam was well tolerated and demonstrated high clinical efficacy for the treatment of these infections.
authors.affiliation: Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Summa Health System, Akron, USA.
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: File
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005208:Fasciitis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D009336:Necrosis; D010397:Penicillanic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010878:Piperacillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection / Q000382:microbiology; D000078142:Tazobactam; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; D065093:beta-Lactamase Inhibitors; D010397:Penicillanic Acid; D000078142:Tazobactam; D010878:Piperacillin