Best Practices for the Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
Target Audience: Pharmacy Tech
Course Overview
Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) pose significant challenges for patients in community and hospital settings. The effective management of SSTIs requires a strong understanding of their associated risk factors and pathophysiology, as well as knowledge pertaining to diagnosis and effective management strategies. Pharmacy team members play crucial roles in preventing and managing SSTIs via interprofessional collaboration with healthcare teams and providing patient and caregiver education. This continuing education presentation will discuss common risk factors for SSTIs and related pathophysiology, etiology, and epidemiology. Additionally, this program will review the classification of SSTIs and management strategies in detail.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe risk factors for the development of skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs)
- Classify SSTIs based on their severity, need for therapeutic intervention, and the presence of comorbidities
- Describe treatment strategies for SSTIs
- Compare and Contrast antibiotics utilized in the management of SSTIs in terms of mechanism of action, dosing, and side effects
Faculty
I. Introduction
II. Classification of SSTIs
III. Etiology and Epidemiology
IV. Risk Factors for SSTIs
V. Pathophysiology of SSTIs
VI. Clinical Presentation and Diagnosis
VII. General Management of SSTIs
VIII. Folliculitis, Furuncles, and Carbuncles
A. Overview
B. Treatment
IX. Cellulitis
A. Overview
B. Treatment
X. Necrotizing Soft Tissue Infections
A. Overview
B. Treatment
XI. The Roles of Pharmacy Teams
A. Pharmacists
B. Pharmacy Technicians
XII. Summary
From July 27, 2024 through July 27, 2027, participants must:
- Read the "learning objectives" and "author and planning team disclosures"
- Study the section entitled "educational activity"
- Complete the Course Test and Evaluation form. The Course Test will be graded automatically. Following successful completion of the Course Test with a score of 70% or higher, a statement of participation will be made available immediately. (No partial credit will be given.)
Credit for this course will be automatically uploaded to CPE Monitor®.
Faculty Planner Disclosure
The following individuals were involved in developing this activity: Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS, and Pamela Sardo, PharmD, BS. Pamela Sardo and Liz Fredrickson, PharmD, BCPS, have no conflicts of interest or financial relationships regarding the subject matter. There are no financial relationships or commercial or financial support relevant to this activity to report or disclose by RxCe.com or any of the individuals involved in the development of this activity.
Unlabeled Use Disclosure
The information provided in this course is general in nature and it is solely designed to provide participants with continuing education credit(s). This course and materials are not meant to substitute for the independent, professional judgment of any participant regarding that participant’s professional practice, including but not limited to patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Medical and pharmacy practices, rules, and laws vary from state to state, and this course does not cover the laws of each state; therefore, participants must consult the laws of their state as they relate to their professional practice. Healthcare professionals, including pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, must consult with their employer, healthcare facility, hospital, or other organization, for guidelines, protocols, and procedures they are to follow. The information provided in this course does not replace those guidelines, protocols, and procedures but is for academic purposes only, and this course’s limited purpose is for the completion of continuing education credits. Participants are advised and acknowledge that information related to medications, their administration, dosing, contraindications, adverse reactions, interactions, warnings, precautions, or accepted uses are constantly changing, and any person taking this course understands that such person must make an independent review of medication information prior to any patient assessment, diagnosis, treatment and/or health management. Any discussion of off-label use of any medication, device, or procedure is informational only and such uses are not endorsed hereby. Nothing contained in this course represents the opinions, views, judgments, or conclusions of RxCe.com LLC. RxCe.com LLC is not liable or responsible to any person for any inaccuracy, error, or omission with respect to this course, or course material.
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- Operating System: Windows 7, 8, 10, or 11 / Mac OS X 10.9 or later / iOS / Android
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Accreditation
In support of improving patient care, RxCE.com is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
PTCB Recognition
RxCe.com, LLC, offers pharmacy technician continuing education courses for PTCB recertification. Pharmacy technician courses are indicated both in the Target Audience description and the ACPE UAN which will end with a "T".