In a pilot study of 22 patients with an acute bacterial skin infection, serum levels of C-reactive protein and procalcitonin tended to be elevated at presentation and declined within 3-5 days of treatment. Further study of a biomarker-guided treatment strategy to reduce antibiotic overuse in skin infections is warranted.
Keywords: C-reactive protein; acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection; antibiotic stewardship; biomarker; procalcitonin; skin and soft tissue infection.