title: [Review of 1.250 episodes of skin and soft tissue infections attended at 49 hospital emergency departments].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review the prevalence, clinical characteristics, approach and outcome of patients with skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) evaluated at the Emergency Departments (ED) in Spain.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive multicenter cross-sectional analysis in 49 ED of patients with SSTI. Data were collected for age, gender, comorbid conditions, risk factors for multiresistant pathogens, STTI type, sepsis criteria, microbiology, antibiotic treatment, destination and ED mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We documented 1,250 episodes (11% of all infections and 1.6% of all patients seen in ED), mean age 52 years (56% men) and the comorbidities and risk factors for major adverse outcomes were diabetes (15%), heart disease (12%), previous antibiotic therapy (10%) and solid malignancy (5%). 81% of STTI were nonnecrotizing, 3.3% had septic syndrome, in 65% of patients was not practised any microbiological study, and 16% had risk factors for infection for antibiotic-resistant gram-positive bacteria, with adequate empirical antibiotic therapy of 2.5%. 72% of patients were discharged home and 2 died. When comparing STTI discharged home respect those that were admitted, these latter were older patients with more comorbidities and risk factors for multidrug resistance, sepsis and there were more practised cultures (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The SSTI have a prevalence of 1.6%, representing 11% of visits to the ED for infection. 44% of patients have comorbidity and 16% have risk factors for infection for resistant gram-positive pathogens and they were not made an appropriate antibiotic coverage.
authors.affiliation: Ferran Llopis Roca, Servicio de Urgencias. Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge. Feixa Llarga s/n. 08907 L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. fllopis@bellvitgehospital.cat.
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Llopis
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Castillo
authors.forename: Agustín
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Julián-Jiménez
authors.forename: Carles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferré
authors.forename: Julio Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gamazo-Río
authors.forename: Mikel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martínez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D024901:Drug Resistance, Multiple, Bacterial; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D016908:Gram-Positive Bacterial Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010351:Patient Discharge / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D018805:Sepsis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D012874:Skin Diseases, Infectious / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D018461:Soft Tissue Infections / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000382:microbiology; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents