Acute Cellulitis Of The Lower Leg

Cellulitis presents as an enlarging area of red hot swollen and tender skin.

Acute cellulitis of the lower leg. Assessment should include good skin examination as active skin disease such as venous stasis eczema and athletes foot tinea pedis is often overlooked as a primary cause. It is the result of poor circulation in the lower limbs and typically affects the lower legs and ankles. Cellulitis is a common acute bacterial infection of the skin and subcutaneous tissue.

It most often affects the lower legs but can occur anywhere. Patients with a history of cellulitis particularly of the lower limbs have an estimated recurrence rate of 820. You might start feeling unwell a few days before the cellulitis appears.

They have an Ankle Brachial Pressure Index between 08 and 13 or Toe Brachial Pressure Index 07 for treatment with full compression therapy. Usually a wound the site of. It is important to see a doctor early before the cellulitis infection worsens and affects a larger area.

REDUCING MISDIAGNOSIS OF CELLULITIS. C ellulitis is classed as an acute spreading bacterial infection. Halpern et al 2008.

Assessment should include good skin examination as active skin disease such as venous stasis eczema and athletes foot tinea pedis is often overlooked as a primary cause of lower limb cellulitis and recurrent episodes. Youll need to take the antibiotic for as long as your doctor directs usually five to 10 days but possibly as long as 14 days. The lower limb is most commonly affected by cellulitis and also the site where it is most commonly misdiagnosed.

Cellulitis must be differentiated from lower leg eczema2 oedema with blisters acute venous problems including deep venous thrombosis DVT thrombophlebitis and liposclerosis and vasculitis 3. Cellulitis can affect any part of the body but evidence suggests the most common parts of the body affected by cellulitis are the lower limbs Cox et al 1998. These findings indicate that improved awareness and management of toe web intertrigo which may harbor bacterial pathogens and other skin lesions might reduce the incidence of cellulitis.