Acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections (ABSSSIs) collect a cluster of common types of infection, including abscesses, cellulitis, and wound infections, that require an immediate effective antibacterial treatment. 

The high level of resistance to many antibiotic drugs in the prevalent pathogens, mainly methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and the presence of risk factors and comorbidities make the appropriate selection of the antibiotic highly challenging. 

In recent years, new antibiotics have been developed with a spectrum targeted at Gram-positive bacteria and MRSA. Among them, dalbavancin, an effective long-acting antibiotic, can reduce the hospitalization time of patients, decreasing the risk of hospital infections and saving the costs of therapy.

The current paper highlights the key management time-points that treating physicians must be aware of in order to achieve clinical success and to discharge patients from the hospital as early as possible.

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Key words: acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, diagnosis, appropriate antibiotic therapy, early discharge