Evidence-based primary care treatment guidelines for skin infections in Europe: a comparative analysis.

AbstractBackground: In Europe, most antibiotics for human use are prescribed in primary care. Incorporating resistance data into treatment guidelines could improve appropriate prescribing, increase treatment effectiveness and control the development of resistance.Objectives: This study reviews primary care treatment guidelines for bacterial skin infections across Europe and assesses to what extent they are based on antibiotic resistance data.Methods: Thirteen primary care treatment guidelines were obtained from eight countries across Europe. Both the treatment recommendations and the underlying evidence were assessed. The class and dose of recommended antibiotics were investigated and compared using the World Health Organisation's standardized volume of Defined Daily Dose. Furthermore, analysis investigated whether guidelines included references to scientific publications about antibiotic resistance data, and whether these were of national origin.Results: Guidelines were included regarding common skin inf...