What Researchers Did
This review article synthesized recent literature regarding the importance of surgical source control in managing severe complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs), particularly those with sepsis.
What They Found
The review found that radical debridement is the standard of care for necrotizing soft tissue infections causing sepsis, and surgical intervention should occur within 12 hours of admission. While simple source control measures like abscess drainage appear self-evident, the evidence for them remains low, and the value of adjunctive therapies such as hyperbaric oxygenation and intravenous immunoglobulins is uncertain.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with severe complicated skin and soft tissue infections, especially necrotizing infections with sepsis, may benefit from prompt surgical intervention, ideally within 12 hours of hospital admission. This aggressive surgical approach is crucial for saving lives and limbs, as the effectiveness of other adjunctive therapies remains unclear.
Canadian Relevance
This review article does not have a specific Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
A limitation of the current literature, as highlighted by this review, is the low level of evidence supporting simple source control measures like abscess drainage.