Trends in US Hospital Admissions for Skin and Soft Tissue Infections

Abstract

Using data from the 2000–2004 US Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project National Inpatient Sample, we found that total hospital admissions for skin and soft tissue infections increased by 29% during 2000–2004; admissions for pneumonia were largely unchanged. These results are consistent with recent reported increases in community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infections.

Keywords

• Skin infections
• soft tissue infections
• hospital admissions
• staphylococci
• methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
• MRSA