Clinical Scenario

This protocol covers erysipelas or cellulitis that presents with systemic signs of infection — a moderate nonpurulent skin and soft-tissue infection in which systemic antibiotics are indicated.

Treatment Overview (partial)

Management requires systemic intravenous antibiotic therapy, with coverage considerations driven by the clinical picture. Adjunctive measures including elevation of the affected area and addressing predisposing factors are also part of the approach. The full agent selection, sequencing, and decision criteria are in the complete protocol.

Goal: clinical improvement within 5 days of treatment

References

DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu296

For cellulitis with systemic signs of infection (moderate nonpurulent SSTI; Figure 1) systemic antibiotics are indicated. Many clinicians could include coverage against MSSA (weak, low).

Elevation of the affected area and treatment of predisposing factors, such as edema or underlying cutaneous disorders, are recommended (strong, moderate).

The recommended duration of antimicrobial therapy is 5 days, but treatment should be extended if the infection has not improved within this time period (strong, high).

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Treatment of Erysipelas / Cellulitis with Systemic Signs of Infection

References