Skin and Soft Tissue Infections
Clinical Pathways promote evidence based, safe, and high-value care for patients by providing clinical recommendations and standard processes. They are developed by multidisciplinary committees of subject matter experts, informed by methodical review of available evidence and consensus among committee members.
Clinical Pathways:
- Skin and Soft Tissue Infection ED/UCC Algorithm
- Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Inpatient Algorithm
- Skin and Soft Tissue Infection Synopsis (provides care standards employed for this clinical pathway)
Inclusion and exclusion criteria:
Inclusion:
- Patients > 60 days of age with suspected skin and soft tissue infection
Exclusion:
- Suspected sepsis (Sepsis Clinical Pathway)
- Animal/human bites (Animal Bites Clinical Pathway)
- Post-surgical site infections
- Suspected toxin mediated reaction
- Concern for deeper infection (Musculoskeletal Infection Clinical Pathway)
- Concern for necrotizing infection
- Immunocompromised
- Peri-rectal and pilonidal abscesses
- Facial / periorbital cellulitis
Committee members and representation involved in the development:
- Megan Hamner, MD | Infectious Diseases | Committee Chair
- Rana El Feghaly, MD, MSCI | Infectious Diseases | Committee Member
- Erin Scott, DO | Emergency Medicine | Committee Member
- Jessica Markham, MD, MSc | Hospital Medicine | Committee Member
- Amanda Nedved, MD | Urgent Care | Committee Member
EBP Committee Members:
- Katie Berg, MD, FAAP | Evidence Based Practice & Hospital Medicine | Committee member
- Kori Hess, PharmD | Evidence Based Practice | Committee member
Publication dates:
- Finalized date: 5/2022, 12/2025
- Next expected revision date: 2028
If you have any question regarding this content, or identify a broken link, please email evidencebasedpractice@cmh.edu.
These pathways do not establish a standard of care to be followed in every case. It is recognized that each case is different, and those individuals involved in providing health care are expected to use their judgment in determining what is in the best interests of the patient based on the circumstances existing at the time. It is impossible to anticipate all possible situations that may exist and to prepare a pathway for each. Accordingly, these pathways should guide care with the understanding that departures from them may be required at times.