Diagnosis and management of cellulitis and erysipelas

Evaluation of Antibiotic Treatment on the Duration of Hospitalization of Patients with Erysipelas and Bacterial Cellulitis

Introduction

Erysipelas and bacterial cellulitis are two of the most common infectious skin diseases. They are usually caused by the β-hemolytic group of Streptococcus, and less frequently by other bacteria. The objective of the study was to assess the factors affecting the length of stay of patients admitted to hospital with erysipelas or bacterial cellulitis.

Methods

The study was based on the retrospective analysis of medical records of patients diagnosed with erysipelas or bacterial cellulitis. Selected clinical features of the disease, the results of additional tests, the treatment used, and the time of hospitalization were analyzed. Among an initial group of 78 pre-identified patients, 59 subjects aged from 32 to 89 years were included in the final analysis. The time spent in the hospital and the number of antibiotics necessary to cure the patient were chosen as the parameters of treatment efficacy.

Results

The average duration of stay in a hospital was 7.0 ± 2.9 days and was slightly longer for women than for men. Patients with chills on admission, with coexisting chronic venous insufficiency of the lower limbs, and with anemia were hospitalized for a significantly longer period than those without these conditions. A combination therapeutic regimen of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid was the most commonly used treatment option, and this therapy was linked with shortest duration of stay in the hospital; the length of hospital stay was significantly longer for those patients receiving cephalosporins or clindamycin as treatment. The combination therapy of amoxicillin + clavulanic acid as treatment option was also least often associated with the need to use other antibacterial agents.

Conclusions

Based on our evaluation of 59 subjects with either erysipelas or bacterial cellulitis, combination therapy with amoxicillin + clavulanic acid appears to be linked with the shortest stay in the hospital. We suggest that this combination therapy should be considered as a first-line treatment for patients hospitalized due to erysipelas or bacterial cellulitis, if other factors did not preclude the use of this therapy.