Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Skin and soft tissue infections are a common complaint seen in the emergency setting, with diagnosis traditionally made by history and physical examination alone. Cellulitis and cutaneous abscesses are often misdiagnosed. Because cellulitis and cutaneous abscesses can appear similar in presentation, they are often misdiagnosed and thus treated inappropriately. To improve accuracy of diagnosis and thus treatment, evidence now supports the use of point-of-care ultrasound for diagnosis of skin and soft tissue infections. This article reviews the difference in the 2 most common skin and soft tissue infections and discusses implications for point-of-care ultrasound in the emergency care setting to aid in diagnosis.