Abstract
The incidence of culture-confirmed methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been increasingly reported in the community. The number of patients presenting with pyoderma that were not responding to first-line agents with a corresponding increase of MRSA isolates was seen in our Emergency Department (ED). After evaluation of the literature and review of recent cases, the infectious diseases team developed a treatment algorithm for use by ED personnel in order to identify patients that are more likely to have an MRSA infection and to facilitate the provision of effective therapy with the initial visit. Three months after the algorithm implementation, 12 of 13 patients seen in the ED with MRSA pyoderma had cultures done, and 10 were appropriately treated with non-beta-lactam agents on initial visit. Monitoring of infections seen in the ED can help clinicians identify trends in resistance that warrant a change in treatment guideline recommendations with the ultimate aim of improving patient care outcomes.
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