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Welcome to <a href="Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems">PT 635 Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems</a> This is a wiki created by and for the students in the School of Physical Therapy at Bellarmine University in Louisville KY. Please do not edit unless you are involved in this project, but please come back in the near future to check out new information!!

Original Editors - <a href="Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems">Students from Bellarmine University's Pathophysiology of Complex Patient Problems project.</a>

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Definition/Description

Cellulitis is a localized bacterial skin infection, which typically affects the lower limbs but can occur on any area of skin and underlying subcutaneous tissue.^1,2 It is characterized by acute onset of redness, inflammation, pain, and swelling of the affected area. Accompanying symptoms include generalized fever, rigors, nausea, and vomiting.¹ The infection is most commonly caused by B-Hemolytic Streptococci bacteria and reoccurs up to 50% of the time in the lower extremity.^1,3 Most individuals diagnosed with cellulitis have a low risk of severe complications but few suffers can have severe sepsis, local gangrene, and/or necrotising fasciitis.¹

Prevalence

• 650,000 hospital admissions per year in the United States are due to Cellulitis.⁵
• When hospitalized, patients with recurrent cellulitis require longer hospitalizations relative to nonrelapsing Cellulitis patients.⁵
• From 1998-2006, 10% of all infectious-disease hospitalizations were related to Cellulitis⁵
• 22-49% of patients who have cellulitis report at least one previous episode⁵
• Recurrences, typically in the same location, occur approximately 14% of cellulitis cases within 1 year and in 45% of cases within 3 years⁵
  
  

Characteristics/Clinical Presentation

Typical symptoms include acute poorly demarcated and spreading erythema along with pain, swelling, and warmth of the lower extremity but can occur on any area of skin or underlying subcutaneous tissue.^2,3  Additional symptoms may include fever, nausea, vomiting, and rigors.^3,10 Other features include proximal dilated and edematous skin lymphatics and bulla formation.³ Cellulitis predominantly has a unilateral presentation.³

Associated Co-morbidities

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Medications

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Diagnostic Tests/Lab Tests/Lab Values

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Etiology/Causes

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Systemic Involvement

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Medical Management (current best evidence)

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Physical Therapy Management (current best evidence)

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Differential Diagnosis

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Case Reports/ Case Studies

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Resources

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Recent Related Research (from <a href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/">Pubmed</a>)

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References

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