Cellulitis Disease: Understanding a common skin infection
Dr.Kut | Dec 17, 2009 | Comments 0
Although our skin serves as a barrier from external organisms, it may be unknown to people that our skin harbors a natural flora of microbes. When a skin breaks in the form of abrasions, cuts, burns, insect bites, surgical incisions, and intravenous catheters, the opening provides a gateway for these innate colonizing microorganisms of the skin as well as the many exogenous bacteria present in our environment. As a result, an acute inflammatory reaction of the skin may develop called cellulitis disease.
Cellulitis disease is a common acute inflammatory disorder of the skin and subcutaneous tissues which is often identified with redness, warmth, and localized pain. In some cases, this infection may enlarge and spread causing deep tissue involvement accompanied by systemic symptoms such as fever, chills, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, swollen lymph nodes and sometimes; confusion among the elderly. The typical causative agents of cellulitis disease are Streptococcus and Staphylococcus bacteria. Other less common causes of the disease may include yeast, molds, anaerobes, and other forms of bacteria. For children under the age 6, Hemophilus influenza is the most common etiology and this occur on the face, orbits, and upper extremities. Moreover, dog or cat bite may cause cellulitis disease from the bacteria Pasteurella multocida. Aeromonas hydrophilia and Vibrio vulnificus are disease causing pathogens as well arising after freshwater or seawater trauma. On cases of punctured wound, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the common pathologic microbe involved.
In most cases, the typical location of cellulitis disease is on the extremities specifically the hands, arms, legs, and feet. All individuals are likely to develop such disease but the individuals who pose a high risk are the immunocompromised with weak immune systems such may include cancer patients under chemotherapy treatments, steroids, and diabetes. Special types of cellulitis disease are located on the central facial area. As the name implies, this condition is life threatening due to the communicating vessels draining from this area to the brain. Occasionally, cellulitis disease may occur on areas of the face, orbital, periorbital regions of eye, perianal, genital, and breast.
The diagnosis of cellulitis disease is typically obtained through medical history and physical examination. It is imperative to look for any breaks on the skin to assess the gateway of bacteria involved. Etiologic data is also obtained as part of the medical history to determine any possible environmental pathogens causing the cellulitis disease. In chronic cases, swab and blood culture are done to identify the causative organism.
Antibiotics in oral or intravenous forms are both utilized on cases of cellulitis disease. Oral antibiotics are used on acute cases of infection for time duration of 10-14 days. Parenteral route of antibiotic administration are usually brief, given for 3-5 days, and are used for more severe degree of infection. Cellulitis disease is often treated with Penicillin derivatives and other types of antibiotics such as Cephalexin, Ceftriaxone, Dicloxacillin, and Clindamycin. To address the discomfort brought by pain, the individual is often provided with pain reliever medications and warm soaks over the affected area.
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Filed Under: Infection • Skin, Hair and Nails • Staphylococcal Infections
