Skin and Soft-Tissue Infections: It's More Than Just Skin Deep.

Skin and soft-tissue infection (SSTI) are one of the most common infections in both the community and hospital settings and account for nearly 4.8 million emergency department visits annually. These infections can vary in presentation, treatment, management, and potential for complication. As emergency medicine providers, early recognition and diagnosis of the disease are key. Point-of-care ultrasound is an invaluable tool that has contributed to the expeditious evaluation of these diseases with ultimate guidance for clinical management for SSTIs. This article reviews 3 SSTIs-cellulitis, abscess, and necrotizing fasciitis-and presents a common case study for consideration.