Effect of Antimicrobial Stewardship Program Guidance on the Management of Uncomplicated Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Hospitalized Adults

Abstract

Objective To assess the effect of an antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP)–bundled initiative on the appropriate use of antibiotics for uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections (uSSTIs) at 2 academic medical centers in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Patients and Methods A retrospective preintervention and postintervention study was conducted to compare management of patients admitted with uSSTIs before and after the implementation of the bundled initiative. The preintervention period was from August 1, 2014, through March 31, 2015, and the postintervention period was from August 1, 2015, through March 31, 2016. Results A total of 160 patients were included in the preintervention cohort, and 163 were included in the postintervention cohort. Compared with the preintervention group, the mean duration of therapy decreased (12.5 days vs 8.8 days; P