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Antibiotics in ABSSSI

CE / CME

Expanded Options for Diverse Patients: Individualizing Antibiotics in Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infections

Pharmacists: 1.00 contact hour (0.1 CEUs)

Physicians: maximum of 1.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit

Nurse Practitioners/Nurses: 1.00 Nursing contact hour

Released: March 12, 2026

Expiration: September 11, 2026

Activity

Progress
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Course Completed

References

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  2. US Food and Drug Administration. Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: developing drugs for treatment. fda.gov/regulatory-information/search-fda-guidance-documents/acute-bacterial-skin-and-skin-structure-infections-developing-drugs-treatment. Accessed March 6, 2026.
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  5. Sulham K, LaPensee K, Fan W, et al. Severity and costs of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections by treatment setting: an application of the Eron Classification to a real-world database. Presented at: ISPOR 2014; May 31 - June 4, 2014. Abstract PIN99.
  6. Lodise TP, Fan W, Sulham KA. Hospital admission patterns in adult patients with skin and soft tissue infections: Identification of potentially avoidable hospital admissions through a retrospective database analysis. Hosp Pract (1995). 2015;43:137-143. 
  7. Talan DA, Salhi BA, Moran GJ, et al. Factors associated with decision to hospitalize emergency department patients with skin and soft tissue infection. West J Emerg Med. 2015;16:89-97.
  8. Keyloun KR, Weber DJ, Gardstein BM, et al. Economic burden of hospital admissions for patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections in the United States. Hosp Pract (1995). 2018;46:278-286. 
  9. Pollack CV Jr, Amin A, Ford WT Jr, et al. Acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI): practice guidelines for management and care transitions in the emergency department and hospital. J Emerg Med. 2015;48:508-519.
  10. Ray GT, Suaya JA, Baxter R. Incidence, microbiology, and patient characteristics of skin and soft-tissue infections in a U.S. population: a retrospective population-based study. BMC Infect Dis. 2013;13:252.
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  16. Russo A, Concia E, Cristini F, et al. Current and future trends in antibiotic therapy of acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2016;22(suppl 2):S27-S36.
  17. Haysom L, Cross M, Anastasas R, et al. Prevalence and risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections in custodial populations: a systematic review. J Correct Health Care. 2018;24:197-213.
  18. Hitchcock AM, Seabury RW, Kufel WD, et al. Does a positive methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) nasal screen predict the risk for MRSA skin and soft tissue infection? Ann Pharmacother. 2023;57:669-676.
  19. Zilberberg MD, Shorr AF, Micek ST, et al. Epidemiology and outcomes of hospitalizations with complicated skin and skin-structure infections: implications of healthcare-associated infection risk factors. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2009;30:1203-1210.
  20. Ki V, Rotstein C. Bacterial skin and soft tissue infections in adults: a review of their epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment and site of care. Can J Infect Dis Med Microbiol. 2008;19:173-184.
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  22. Chahine EB, Sucher AJ. Skin and soft tissue infections. accp.com/docs/bookstore/psap/2015b1.samplechapter.pdf. Accessed March 6, 2026.
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  28. Daum RS, Miller LG, Immergluck L, et al. A placebo-controlled trial of antibiotics for smaller skin abscesses. N Engl J Med. 2017;376:2545-2555. 
  29. Talan DA, Mower WR, Krishnadasan A, et al. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole versus placebo for uncomplicated skin abscess. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:823-832.
  30. Williams DJ, Cooper WO, Kaltenbach LA, et al. Comparative effectiveness of antibiotic treatment strategies for pediatric skin and soft-tissue infections. Pediatrics. 2011;128:e479-487.
  31. Prokocimer P, De Anda C, Fang E, et al. Tedizolid phosphate vs linezolid for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: the ESTABLISH-1 randomized trial. JAMA. 2013;309:559-569. 
  32. Babiker A, Li X, Lai YL, et al. Effectiveness of adjunctive clindamycin in β-lactam antibiotic-treated patients with invasive β-haemolytic streptococcal infections in US hospitals: a retrospective multicentre cohort study. Lancet Infect Dis. 2021;21:697-710.
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  36. Delafloxacin [prescribing information]. Lincolnshire, IL: Melinta; 2021.
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  38. Abrahamian FM, Sakoulas G, Tzanis E, et al. Omadacycline for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69(suppl 1):S23-S32. 
  39. O'Riordan W, McManus A, Teras J, et al. A comparison of the efficacy and safety of intravenous followed by oral delafloxacin with vancomycin plus aztreonam for the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: a phase 3, multinational, double-blind, randomized study. Clin Infect Dis. 2018;67:657-666. 
  40. Garey KW, Rose W, Gunter K, et al. Omadacycline and Clostridioides difficile: A Systematic Review of Preclinical and Clinical Evidence. Ann Pharmacother. 2023;57:184-192. Gallagher JC. Omadacycline: A Modernized Tetracycline. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;69:S1.
  41. Gallagher J. Omadacycline: A modernized tetracycline. Clin Infect Dis. 2019;60:S1.
  42. Liang W, Yin H, Chen H, et al. Efficacy and safety of omadacycline for treating complicated skin and soft tissue infections: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. BMC Infect Dis. 2024;24:219.Wahood S, Alani O, Draw I, et al. Fluoroquinolones for dermatologists: a practical guide to clinical use and risk management. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2025;18:800. 
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  45. Linezolid [prescribing information]. Lake Forest, IL: Hospira; 2024.
  46. Tedizolid [prescribing information]. Rahway, NJ: Merck; 2025.
  47. Doxycycline [prescribing information]. Congers, NY: Chartwell; 2022.
  48. Trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole [prescribing information]. Greenville, SC: Pharmaceutical Associates; 2021.
  49. Clindamycin [prescribing information]. New York, NY: Pfizer; 2022.
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  55. Dalbavancin [prescribing information]. Irvine, CA: Allergan; 2018.
  56. Oritavancin [prescribing information]. Lincolnshire, IL: Melinta; 2021.
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  59. Boucher HW, Wilcox M, Talbot GH, et al. Once-weekly dalbavancin versus daily conventional therapy for skin infection. N Engl J Med. 2014;370:2169-2179
  60. Gonzalez PL, Rappo U, Mas Casullo V, et al. Safety of dalbavancin in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI): nephrotoxicity rates compared with vancomycin: a post hoc analysis of three clinical trials. Infect Dis Ther. 2021;10:471-481.
  61. Corey GR, Arhin FF, Wikler MA, et al. Pooled analysis of single-dose oritavancin in the treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections caused by gram-positive pathogens, including a large patient subset with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Int J Antimicrob Agents. 2016;48:528-534. 
  62. Corey GR, Good S, Jiang H, et al. Single-dose oritavancin versus 7-10 days of vancomycin in the treatment of gram-positive acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: the SOLO II noninferiority study. Clin Infect Dis. 2015;60:254-262. 
  63. McCarthy MW, Keyloun KR, Gillard P, et al. Dalbavancin reduces hospital stay and improves productivity for patients with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: the ENHANCE trial. Infect Dis Ther. 2020;9:53-67. 
  64. Talan DA, Mower WR, Lovecchio FA, et al. Pathway with single-dose long-acting intravenous antibiotic reduces emergency department hospitalizations of patients with skin infections. Acad Emerg Med. 2021;28:1108-1117.
  65. Helton B, MacWhinnie A, Minor SB, et al. Early directed oritavancin therapy in the emergency department may lead to hospital avoidance compared to standard treatment for acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections: a real-world retrospective analysis. Drugs Real World Outcomes. 2020;7(suppl 1):20-29.

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