Management and outcome of adults with skin and soft tissue infection caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus in a tertiary hospital in central Taiwan

Background Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been increasingly causing skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs). Only limited studies have made comparisons between incision and drainage (I&D) alone and I&D with adjunctive antibiotic therapy for treatment effects, and most of the studies were conducted before the emergence of MRSA. This study was to evaluate whether antibiotics provide added benefit to I&D alone for purulent MRSA SSTIs. Methods This retrospective study collected data on SSTI patients, including patient demographics, treatment strategies, antibiotic susceptibilities of the infecting MRSA isolates, and clinical outcomes over the course of 24 months. Results Antimicrobial drug susceptibility rate were 100% for vancomycin, teicoplanin, and linezolid. Among the 211 patients, 7.6% were treated solely with I&D (Group A), 62.6% were treated via I&D with adjunctive antibiotic (Group B), and 29.8% patients received only antibiotics (Group C). The cure rate was highest in Group A (93.8%), followed by Group B (90.9%) and Group C (77.8%). Combining Group B and Group C, patients who were treated appropriately demonstrated a higher cute rate (91.3% vs. 75.4%, p = 0.005). Multivariate analysis showed that Group B was more likely to be successfully treated compared to Group C (odds ratio = 2.51, 95% confidence interval = 1.01–6.25, p = 0.047), whereas no difference between Group A and Group B was found (odds ratio = 2.09, 95% confidence interval = 0.20–22.34, p = 0.542, data not shown). Conclusion Surgical intervention is the definitive therapy for purulent SSTIs. Adjunctive antibiotic therapy increased the cure rate and appropriateness of prescription is influential.