Metrics details. Skin and soft-tissue infections SSTIs encompass a variety of pathological conditions that involve the skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue, fascia, or muscle, ranging from simple superficial infections to severe necrotizing infections.
The resulting evidence was shared by an international task force with different clinical backgrounds. Necrotizing soft-tissue infections NSTIs are rare but potentially life-threatening and disabling infections [ 1 ].
Moreover, patients with NSTIs may have considerable long-term functional disabilities. In one study, only half of them could return directly home while the others needed further hospitalization or transfer to an inpatient rehabilitation facility [ 2 ].
Successful management of patients with NSTIs involves prompt recognition, appropriate antibiotic therapy, timely surgical debridement or drainage, and resuscitation when required. Close cooperation between surgeons, microbiologists, infectious diseases specialists, and intensivists is fundamental in treating severely ill patients with NSTI. The resulting evidence was shared by an international task force with varying backgrounds. Various classification systems have been used to describe SSTIs, including variables such as anatomic location, causative pathogen s , rate of progression, depth of infection, and severity of clinical presentation [ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 ].
Uncomplicated SSTIs included superficial infections such as cellulitis, simple abscesses, impetigo, and furuncles and required antibiotics or surgical incision to drain abscess alone. In contrast, complicated SSTIs included deep soft-tissue infections such as necrotizing infections, infected ulcers, infected burns, and major abscesses, requiring significant surgical intervention with drainage and debridement [ 3 ].
