Skin and soft tissue infections in the elderly.
Curr Opin Infect Dis
; 36(2): 102-108, 2023 04 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2229865
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE OF REVIEW To highlight the peculiarity of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) in elderly patients and to provide useful elements for their optimal management. RECENT FINDINGS:
In the COVID-19 era, early discharge from the hospital and implementation of outpatient management is of key importance.SUMMARY:
Elderly patients are at high risk of SSTIs due to several factors, including presence of multiple comorbidities and skin factors predisposing to infections. Clinical presentation may be atypical and some signs of severity, such as fever and increase in C-reactive protein, may be absent or aspecific in this patients population. An appropriate diagnosis of SSTIs in the elderly is crucial to avoid antibiotic overtreatment. Further studies should explore factors associated with bacterial superinfections in patients with pressure ulcers or lower limb erythema. Since several risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) may coexist in elderly patients, these subjects should be carefully screened for MRSA risk factors and those with high risk of resistant etiology should receive early antibiotic therapy active against MRSA. Physicians should aim to several objectives, including clinical cure, patient safety, early discharge and return to community. SSTIs in the elderly may be managed using long-acting antibiotics, but clinical follow-up is needed.
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Staphylococcal Infections
/
Staphylococcal Skin Infections
/
Community-Acquired Infections
/
Soft Tissue Infections
/
Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Cohort study
/
Diagnostic study
/
Etiology study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Topics:
Long Covid
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Curr Opin Infect Dis
Journal subject:
Communicable Diseases
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
QCO.0000000000000907
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