What is Cellulitis?
Cellulitis is a skin and soft tissue infection. The cause is usually a break in the skin from a cut or a scrape through which bacteria enter resulting in inflammation of the surrounding tissue.
Typical symptoms of cellulitis include:
Pain
Redness
Warmth of the infected area compared to the surrounding skin
Swelling
Fever
If left untreated, cellulitis can lead to complications such as:
An abscess which is an area of infection filled with pus
Joint or bone infections
Infections within the heart
Blood infection spreading the bacteria throughout the body
Cellulitis Diagnosis and Treatment
Cellulitis can be diagnosed by history and physical exam. If an infection is serious or there is concern that it has spread, blood work and imaging might become necessary
Treatment of cellulitis includes:
Antibiotics: Oral if possible. If the the infection looks extensive or the child looks very sick, they will be admitted to the hospital to have antibiotics given by IV.
Pain medication: Ibuprofen or Motrin as needed until the pain improves.
Sometimes, to monitor the infection, you or the provider can trace the area of redness to determine if the infecting is shrinking or getting larger after starting antibiotics.
See a Doctor in Person If…
If there is no improvement after 48-72 hours of antibiotics
If your child develops a persistent fever
If your child looks tired or lethargic
If your child’s pain worsens
If the area of infection develops red streaks or lines coming from it