Treatment of skin and soft tissue infections in a pediatric observation unit

To report the success rate of observation unit (OU) treatment of pediatric skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) and to see if we could identify variables at the time of initial evaluation that predicted successful OU treatment.

A retrospective review of children less than 18 years of age admitted for SSTI treatment to our OU from the emergency department between January 2003 and June 2009.

On records review, 853 patients matched eligibility criteria; median age was 5.2 years (interquartile range = 2.5-9 years). Of the 853 patients, 597 (70.0%) met the primary outcome criteria of successful OU discharge within 26 hours. Secondary analysis revealed that 82% of the patients achieved successful discharge from the OU within 48 hours. Although some laboratory variables demonstrated statistical association with success, none achieved a combination of high sensitivity and specificity to predict OU failure. OU success rates varied by location. Dental and face infections and those of the extremities or multiple sites demonstrated OU success rates higher than 65%, while infection of the groin, buttocks, trunk, or neck had success rates between 24% (neck) and 60% (groin). In multivariate analysis, only 3 variables remained significant. Unfavorable location was most strongly associated with OU failure, followed by C-reactive protein > 4 and then by erythrocyte sedimentation rate > 20.

Our findings suggest that successful OU treatment is possible in a large group of patients needing hospitalization for SSTIs. Consideration of infection location may assist the emergency department clinician in determining the most appropriate unit for admission.