Do systemic methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus-active antibiotics improve cure rates following abscess incision and drainage?
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Why is this study important?
Incision and drainage (I&D) is the treatment for skin and soft tissue abscesses. Traditional teaching maintains that well drained abscesses do not require antibiotic (Abx) therapy as part of the treatment plan, but the increasing prevalence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is resulting in reconsideration of this stance. MRSA is commonly cultured from these abscesses, and recent randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have shown benefit from treatment with a course of MRSA-active Abx therapy. This meta-analysis includes 4 RCTs that compare systematic MRSA-active Abx therapy after I&D to standard therapy of I&D alone to determine the difference in treatment failure between these 2 strategies.
Which, if any, threats to validity are most likely to have an impact on the results and how?
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