[Therapeutic implications of the microbiology of severe skin infections]

THERAPEUTIC IMPLICATIONS OF THE MICROBIOLOGY OF SEVERE SKIN INFECTIONS. Bacterial necrotizing dermo-hypodermatitis (BNHD) is a serious infection that can be life-threatening. They require urgent surgical management, treatment of organ failure, and early and appropriate antibiotic therapy. The microbiology of BNHD is often polymicrobial and varies according to the location of the infection, the local ecology and the risk factors for resistant bacteria. In this context, probabilistic antibiotic therapy should be early, intravenous, bactericidal, broad-spectrum, and should thus cover both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and anaerobes. The addition of a systematic anti-toxin treatment also seems reasonable. The use of high doses and therapeutic monitoring of antibiotics are also important elements to consider. Finally, de-escalation of the antibiotic spectrum according to the microbiological result is essential.