Antibiotic use in XXXX with @entity13171 : a retrospective study.

@entity1 @entity114 @entity281 @entity272 @entity13171
BACKGROUND: Erysipelas is a @entity272 generally caused by group A streptococci. Although @entity114 is the drug of choice, some physicians tend to treat @entity13171 with antibiotics other than @entity114 . OBJECTIVES: To define the pattern of antibiotic use, factors affecting antibiotic selection, and outcome of @entity1 treated with @entity114 versus those treated with other antimicrobial agents. METHODS: A retrospective review of charts of adult @entity1 with discharge diagnosis of @entity13171 was conducted for the years 1993-1996. RESULTS: The study group comprised 365 @entity1 (median age 67 years). In 76% of the cases @entity281 involved the leg/s. Predisposing condition/s were present in 82% of cases. Microorganisms were isolated from blood cultures in only 6 of 176 cases (3%), and Streptococcus spp. was recovered in four of these six @entity1 . Cultures from skin specimens were positive in 3 of 23 cases. @entity114 alone was given to 164 @entity1 (45%). Other antibiotics were more commonly used in the second half of the study period (P < 0.0001) in @entity1 with underlying conditions (P = 0.06) and in those hospitalized in the dermatology ward (P < 0.0001). Hospitalization was significantly shorter in the @entity114 group (P = 0.004). There were no in-hospital deaths. CONCLUSIONS: We found no advantage in using antibiotics other than @entity114 for treating @entity13171 . The low yield of skin and blood cultures and their marginal impact on management, as well as the excellent outcome suggest that this @entity281 can probably be treated empirically on an outpatient basis.
