Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2025

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes
07:44

Time-Lapse Epifluorescence Microscopy Imaging of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus Heterogeneous Phenotypes

Published on: February 14, 2025

775

Default Antibiotic Order Durations for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in Outpatient Pediatrics: A Cluster Randomized

Kali A Broussard1, Juan D Chaparro2, Guliz Erdem3

  • 1Division of Pediatrics, Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, Lafayette, Los Angeles, USA.

Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society
|December 12, 2024
PubMed

Insights

A study on electronic health record order panels for skin infections found they did not significantly reduce long antibiotic prescriptions. However, when used, the panels did lead to guideline-concordant antibiotic durations for skin and soft tissue infections.

Area of Science:

  • Infectious Diseases
  • Health Informatics
  • Pediatric Primary Care

Background:

  • Antibiotic prescribing for uncomplicated skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI) frequently exceeds guideline-recommended durations.
  • Reducing prolonged antibiotic use is crucial for antimicrobial stewardship.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of an Electronic Health Record (EHR) default duration order panel in decreasing long antibiotic prescriptions for SSTIs.
  • To assess the impact of decision support on antibiotic prescribing patterns in pediatric primary care.

Main Methods:

  • A cluster randomized trial compared an SSTI order panel with default durations to a control panel without decision support in 14 pediatric clinics.
  • Prescription data were analyzed for 23 months pre-implementation and 12 months post-implementation (January 2020 - December 2022).
  • Long antibiotic prescriptions were defined based on specific SSTI types and durations exceeding 5 or 7 days.

Main Results:

  • The intervention panel did not significantly reduce the overall rate of long antibiotic prescriptions compared to the control group.
  • In the intervention group, the long prescription rate decreased from 63.8% to 54.6%, while in the control group, it decreased from 70.0% to 54.9%.
  • Prescriptions ordered through the intervention panel showed lower odds of being long (OR 0.18), despite limited uptake (29.4% of eligible encounters).

Conclusions:

  • The EHR order panel with default durations did not demonstrate an overall reduction in long antibiotic prescriptions for SSTIs.
  • When the intervention panel was utilized, antibiotic prescriptions were more likely to be guideline-concordant.
  • Further development of automatic default duration selection is needed to effectively decrease prolonged antibiotic prescribing.
Abstract

Keywords:
antibiotic treatmentbehavioral economicsorder panelshort-course therapyskin and soft tissue infection

More Related Videos

Quantifying the Effects of Antimicrobials on In vitro Biofilm Architecture using COMSTAT Software06:18

Quantifying the Effects of Antimicrobials on In vitro Biofilm Architecture using COMSTAT Software

Published on: December 14, 2020

3.3K
A Novel High-Throughput Ex Vivo Ovine Skin Wound Model for Testing Emerging Antibiotics08:30

A Novel High-Throughput Ex Vivo Ovine Skin Wound Model for Testing Emerging Antibiotics

Published on: September 16, 2022

2.0K

Related Concept Videos

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Antimicrobials as Antidiarrheal Agents01:18

Drugs Affecting GI Tract Motility: Antimicrobials as Antidiarrheal Agents

Acute diarrhea, a common gastrointestinal disturbance, is characterized by the rapid evacuation of fluid stools, leading to an excessive weight in fluid. This condition typically arises from disorders affecting intestinal water and electrolyte transport. It can be triggered by an increased osmotic load within the intestine, excessive secretion of electrolytes and water, mucosal exudation of protein and fluid, or altered intestinal motility. The primary risks of acute diarrhea are dehydration...
109
Hand hygiene01:23

Hand hygiene

Asepsis is the practice of preventing or breaking the chain of infection. The nurse employs aseptic techniques to prevent the spread of microorganisms and reduce the risk of diseases. Hand hygiene is the cornerstone of aseptic techniques and is classified into medical and surgical asepsis. Medical asepsis includes hand hygiene and the use of gloves. Surgical asepsis, or the sterile technique, refers to practices that render and keep objects and areas free of microorganisms.
Hand washing...
3.1K
Pulmonary Tuberculosis V01:28

Pulmonary Tuberculosis V

Medical management of tuberculosis (TB) patients involves a comprehensive approach that includes diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring. The specific strategies can vary depending on the type of tuberculosis (latent or active), the patient's overall health status, and other considerations.
Latent tuberculosis infection occurs when TB bacteria are present in a person's body, but are not causing illness or symptoms. It is not contagious, and preventive treatment is crucial to avoid the...
170
Antibiotic Selection00:57

Antibiotic Selection

Overview
52.3K
Tonsillitis II: Management01:26

Tonsillitis II: Management

This lesson will focus on the different treatment options for managing tonsillitis, which typically depend on the cause and severity.
103
Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets01:17

Transmission-based Precautions I: Contact, Enteric, and Droplets

Transmission-based precautions are for patients known to be infected or suspected to be infected or colonized with organisms that pose a significant risk to others. Some transmission-based precautions include contact, enteric, and droplet.
Contact Precautions:
Contact precautions are the measures taken to prevent the transmission of infectious agents, especially epidemiologically important microorganisms such as MRSA or influenza, primarily transmitted through direct or indirect contact with an...
3.4K