VideoWiki/Cellulitis (Tutorial)
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Definition

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Cellulitis is a bacterial infection involving the inner layers of the skin.[1] 100px|left

Tissues affected

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It specifically affects the dermis and subcutaneous fat.[1] Signs and symptoms include an area of redness which increases in size over a few days.[1] 100px|left

Symptoms

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The borders of the area of redness are generally not sharp and the skin may be swollen.[1] While the redness often turns white when pressure is applied, this is not always the case.[1] 100px|left

Pain

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The area of infection is usually painful.[1] Lymphatic vessels may occasionally be involved,[1][2] and the person may have a fever and feel tired.[3] 100px|left

Cause

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The legs and face are the most common sites involved, though cellulitis can occur on any part of the body.[1] 100px|left

Legs

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The leg is typically affected following a break in the skin.[1] Other risk factors include obesity, leg swelling, and old age.[1] 100px|left

Face

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For facial infections, a break in the skin beforehand is not usually the case, and can be tooth related.[1] The bacteria most commonly involved are streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus.[1] 100px|left

Superficial infections

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In contrast to cellulitis, erysipelas is a bacterial infection involving the more superficial layers of the skin, present with an area of redness with well-defined edges, and more often is associated with a fever.[1] 100px|left

Diagnosis

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Diagnosis is usually based on the presenting signs and symptoms, while cell culture is rarely possible.[1] 100px|left

Deeper infections

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Before making a diagnosis, more serious infections such as an underlying bone infection or necrotizing fasciitis should be ruled out.[2] 100px|left

Treatment

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Treatment is typically with antibiotics taken by mouth, such as cephalexin, amoxicillin or cloxacillin.[1][4] 100px|left

Penicillin allergy

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For those who are seriously allergic to penicillin, erythromycin or clindamycin may be used.[4] When methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) is a concern, doxycycline or trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole may, in addition, be recommended.[1] 100px|left

Pus or MRSA

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Concern is related to the presence of pus or previous MRSA infections.[1][3] Elevating the infected area may be useful, as may pain killers.[2][4] 100px|left

Complications

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Potential complications include abscess formation.[1] Around 95% of people are better after seven to ten days of treatment.[3] 100px|left

Diabetes

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Those with diabetes, however, often have worse outcomes.[5]

Epidemiology

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Cellulitis occurred in about 21.2 million people in 2015.[6] In the United States about two of every 1,000 people per year have a case affecting the lower leg.[1] 100px|left

Mortality

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Cellulitis in 2015 resulted in about 16,900 deaths worldwide.[7] In the United Kingdom, cellulitis was the reason for 1.6% of admissions to a hospital.[4] 100px|left

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Vary, JC; O'Connor, KM (May 2014). "Common Dermatologic Conditions". Medical Clinics of North America. 98 (3): 445–85. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2014.01.005. PMID 24758956.
  2. ^ a b c Tintinalli, Judith E. (2010). Emergency Medicine: A Comprehensive Study Guide (Emergency Medicine (Tintinalli)) (7th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Companies. p. 1016. ISBN 978-0-07-148480-0.
  3. ^ a b c Mistry, RD (Oct 2013). "Skin and soft tissue infections". Pediatric Clinics of North America. 60 (5): 1063–82. doi:10.1016/j.pcl.2013.06.011. PMID 24093896.
  4. ^ a b c d Phoenix, G; Das, S; Joshi, M (Aug 7, 2012). "Diagnosis and management of cellulitis". BMJ. Clinical Research. 345: e4955. doi:10.1136/bmj.e4955. PMID 22872711.
  5. ^ Dryden, M (Sep 2015). "Pathophysiology and burden of infection in patients with diabetes mellitus and peripheral vascular disease: focus on skin and soft-tissue infections". Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 21: S27–S32. doi:10.1016/j.cmi.2015.03.024. PMID 26198368.
  6. ^ GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence, Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282. {{cite journal}}: |first1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  7. ^ GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281. {{cite journal}}: |first1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)