Antimicrobial treatment of minor soft tissue lacerations: a critical review.

This article is a collective review of all the prospective clinical studies that assessed the therapeutic value of antibiotics in minor soft tissue lacerations. This review critically evaluates each study that tests the hypothesis that antibiotic treatment reduces the incidence of infection. Even though the design of each of the studies was scientifically inadequate, important factors were identified that influenced the incidence of infection. On the basis of this collective review as well as other studies, indications for antibiotic therapy of minor soft tissue lacerations have been identified. Future clinical studies must be designed to test more precisely the validity of these recommendations.