Podcast 209: “The guidelines need to be rewritten” to encourage antibiotic use after incision and drainage of small skin abscesses

The senior author of a paper examining the role of systemic antibiotics after incision-and-drainage in treating small skin abscesses says the results should prompt a rewriting of current guidelines.

Henry Chambers of UCSF found a 15-percentage-point advantage in short-term cure rates for antibiotics over placebo. The guidelines don’t encourage systemic antibiotics in these circumstances, but Chambers’ group found the advantage held both in the intention-to-treat results and among those patients who were full adherent to their regimens.

Clinical Conversations comes to you through the NEJM Group. Executive producer, Kristin Kelley.

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