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How do you suggest incorporating POCUS into the evaluation of SSTIs, and do you use this as a means to guide initial antibiotic selection?

3 Answers
Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · Oregon Health and Science University Hospital

I routinely incorporate POCUS into my SSTI evaluation because it reliably distinguishes simple cellulitis from purulent infection, which directly guides my initial management. A quick bedside scan allows me to rule out a drainable abscess. If the scan shows only cobblestoning without a fluid collect...

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · Oregon Health and Science University Hospital

I do routinely use POCUS to evaluate any moderate to severe SSTI, specifically to evaluate for infection complexity and underlying phlegmon/abscess. The most common way that it changes my management is in pursuing incision and drainage for an abscess. I also recommend a repeat ultrasound, particular...

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Mednet Member
Mednet Member
Hospital Medicine · Northwestern University

I routinely incorporate POCUS into my initial and serial evaluation of SSTI to assess for complicated infection/abscess that needs I&D in addition to antibiotics. This is especially valuable in patients with delayed or no response to empiric antibiotics.

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