Annals of emergency medicine
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Clinicians currently do not reliably adhere to antibiotic treatment guidelines, resulting in unnecessary patient exposure to broad-spectrum antimicrobials. Our objective is to determine whether a treatment intervention for the management of nonpurulent skin and soft tissue infections increases clinician adherence and improves patient outcomes. ⋯ Among patients with a nonpurulent skin and soft tissue infection, implementing an easy-to-follow treatment algorithm can reduce unnecessary antibiotic exposure by increasing clinician guideline adherence while reducing patient treatment failure rates.
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In the last year, New York City has had more than 600 confirmed measles cases. For each patient with measles, numerous neonates, unimmunized children, and susceptible adults can be exposed to the highly contagious virus. Working in an emergency department amid such an outbreak presents several challenges because of the crowded nature of the environment, the imperative for rapid identification and isolation of infected patients, and identification of vulnerable individuals who have been in the vicinity when a patient with measles presents. In this report, we discuss our process in navigating these challenges, collaboration with the city's health department, postexposure prophylaxis for individuals exposed in the hospital and the community, and prevention initiatives.