MPH’s alumni Creech, Self, and Williams: New approach for staph-related skin abscesses explored
New multicenter research that includes Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) investigators, could change treatment approaches to simple skin abscesses, infections often caused by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria.
The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that adults and children who have simple abscesses 5 centimeters or smaller in diameter have higher cure rates if the abscess is drained in combination with antibiotic treatment, either trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX or Bactrim) or clindamycin, compared to drainage alone.
Vanderbilt researchers included Buddy Creech, M.D., MPH, associate professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and director of the Vanderbilt Vaccine Research Program (VVRP), Derek Williams, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Wesley Self, M.D., MPH, assistant professor of Emergency Medicine, and Isaac Thomsen, M.D., assistant professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases.