Statement Of Need
This interactive program will provide a comprehensive update regarding emerging strategies in the treatment of complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs) in order to assist clinicians in reducing the prevalence of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens, improve patient outcomes, and decrease health care-related costs. The armamentarium of agents used to treat complex infections continues to expand in response to the increasing resistance of the pathogens that commonly cause cSSTIs and cIAIs.

cSSTIs are skin infections involved with deeper soft tissue that require surgical intervention as well as antibiotic therapy. Similarly, cIAIs are also a major challenge to surgeons. cIAIs are due to multiplication of pathogenic microorganisms within normally sterile regions of the abdomen, such as the peritoneal cavity. Most commonly, cIAIs present clinically as peritonitis or intra-abdominal abscess. cIAIs are a major surgical challenge because they are associated with high morbidity and high mortality.

The increasing prevalence of resistant pathogens and the mix of anaerobic and aerobic bacteria that is frequently observed in complicated infections are challenges to surgeons, despite the availability of numerous potent antibiotics. Because delays in administering appropriate therapy have been associated with excess mortality, prompt empiric antimicrobial therapy, coupled with appropriate surgical intervention, is important for successful patient and clinical outcomes. Currently, new strategies and approaches to prevent and treat cSSTIs and cIAIs are under investigation.

Physician Accreditation
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint sponsorship of Penn State College of Medicine and SynerMed® Communications. Penn State College of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Penn State College of Medicine designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.25 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)^TM. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

• Understand the prevalence, and clinical and pharmacoeconomic impact, of antimicrobial resistance and complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs) and complicated intra-abdominal infections (cIAIs)
• Identify the pathogens of significance for cSSTIs and cIAIs and recognize changes in antimicrobial resistance patterns
• Understand the comorbid factors related to the risk of developing cSSTIs and cIAIs
• Recognize the significance of appropriate antimicrobial selection and assess the relative advantages and disadvantages of current and emerging antimicrobial agents in the surgical setting

Target Audience
This activity has been developed for attendees of the 3rd Combined Meeting of the Surgical Infection Societies of North America and Europe, infectious disease specialists, and other interested clinicians.

Physician Disclosure
Penn State College of Medicine is committed to offering Continuing Medical Education (CME) programs that promote improvements or quality in health care and are developed free of the control of commercial interests.  Reasonable efforts have been taken to ensure that our programs are balanced, independent, objective, scientific, and in compliance with regulatory requirements. Faculty and course directors have disclosed all relevant financial relationships with commercial companies, and Penn State has a process in place to resolve any conflict of interest. Penn State also requires that faculty disclose any discussion of off-label or investigational uses included in their presentations. Disclosure of a relationship is not intended to suggest or condone bias in a presentation, but is made to provide participants with information that might be of potential importance to their evaluation of a presentation. 

The information presented at this CME program represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, Penn State College of Medicine. Each participant must use his/her personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, US FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses. 

Lena M. Napolitano, MD, reports that she has received honoraria for her role in a speaker’s bureau for Merck and Co., Inc.; Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Schering-Plough; and Wyeth Laboratories. She reports that she is a consultant/advisor for Merck and Co., Inc.; Ortho-McNeil, Inc.; Pfizer Inc.; Schering-Plough; and Wyeth Laboratories.

Philip S. Barie, MD, MBA, reports that he has received honoraria for his role in a speaker’s bureau for Eli Lilly and Co., Inc.; Merck and Co., Inc.; Schering-Plough, Inc.; and Wyeth Laboratories.  He reports that he is a consultant/advisor for Astellas, Inc.; AstraZeneca, Inc.; Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories, Inc.; Eisai Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Co., Inc.; Forest Laboratories, Inc.; Merck and Co., Inc.; Pfizer, Inc.; Shire Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; and Wyeth Laboratories.

Donald E. Fry, MD, reports that he has received honoraria for his role in a speaker’s bureau for Merck and Co., Inc.; and Schering-Plough, Inc.

Penn State College of Medicine and SynerMed® Communications staff involved in planning this activity have no relevant financial relationships to disclose.

Unapproved/Investigational Uses of Products
Faculty members are required to inform the audience when they are discussing off-label or unapproved uses of devices or drugs. Devices or drugs that are still undergoing clinical trials are identified as such and should not be portrayed as standard, accepted therapy. Please consult full prescribing information before using any product mentioned in this activity. lf using products in an investigational, off-label manner, it is the responsibility of the prescribing physician to monitor the medical literature to determine recommended dosages and uses of the drugs. Neither the publisher nor the sponsor promotes the use of any agent outside of approved labeling.

Computer Hardware/Software

Windows®

• Intel Pentium ll 450MHz or faster processor (or equivalent)
• 128MB of RAM
• Microsoft Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000, Windows XP, Windows Server 2003
• Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5, Firefox l.x, Mozilla l.x, Netscape 7.x or later, AOL 9, Opera 7.11 or later

• PowerPC G3 SOOMI-Iz or faster processor
• 128MB of RAM 4 4
• Mac OS X v.l0.l.x, l0.2.x, l0.3.x, or l0.4.x
• Intemet Explorer 5.2, Firefox 1.x, Mozilla l.x, Netscape 7.x or later, AOL for Mac OS X, Opera 6, Safari l.x` or later

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