Factors associated with cellulitis in lymphoedema of the arm - an international cross-sectional study (LIMPRINT).

BACKGROUND: Lymphoedema is a globally neglected health care problem and a common complication following breast cancer treatment. Lymphoedema is a well-known predisposing factor for cellulitis, but few have investigated the risk factors for cellulitis in this patient cohort on an international level. The aim of this study was to identify the frequency of cellulitis in patients with lymphoedema of the arm, including potential risk factors for cellulitis. METHODS: An international, multi-centre, cross-sectional study including patients with clinically assessed arm lymphoedema. The primary outcome was the incidence of cellulitis located to the arm with lymphoedema within the last 12 months, and its potential associated risk factors. The secondary outcome was life-time prevalence of cellulitis. Adults with clinically-assessed arm lymphoedema/chronic oedema (all causes) and able to give informed consent were included. End-of-life-patients or those judged as not in the patient's best interest were excluded. Both univariable and multivariable analysis were performed. RESULTS: A total of 2160 patients were included from Australia, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Turkey and United Kingdom. Secondary lymphoedema was present in 98% of the patients; 95% of these were judged as related to cancer or its treatment. The lifetime prevalence of cellulitis was 22% and 1-year incidence 11%. Following multivariable analysis, factors associated with recent cellulitis were longer swelling duration and having poorly controlled lymphoedema. Compared to having lymphoedema less than 1 year, the risk increased with duration: 1-2 years (OR 2.15), 2-5 years (OR 2.86), 5-10 years (OR 3.15). Patients with well-controlled lymphoedema had a 46% lower risk of cellulitis (OR 0.54, 95% CI 0.39-0.73, p < 0.001). More advanced stages of lymphoedema were associated with cellulitis even after adjustment for swelling duration and control of swelling by logistic regression (stage II OR 5.44, stage III OR 9.13, p = 0.002), demonstrated in a subgroup analysis. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced arm lymphoedema are at particular risk of developing cellulitis. Prevention of lymphoedema progression is crucial. The results lend towards a positive effect of having well-treated lymphoedema on the frequency of cellulitis.

Compression Therapy to Prevent Recurrent Cellulitis of the Leg.

BACKGROUND: Chronic edema of the leg is a risk factor for cellulitis. Daily use of compression garments on the leg has been recommended to prevent the recurrence of cellulitis, but there is limited evidence from trials regarding its effectiveness. METHODS: In this single-center, randomized, nonblinded trial, we assigned participants with chronic edema of the leg and recurrent cellulitis, in a 1:1 ratio, to receive leg compression therapy plus education on cellulitis prevention (compression group) or education alone (control group). Follow-up occurred every 6 months for up to 3 years or until 45 episodes of cellulitis had occurred in the trial. The primary outcome was the recurrence of cellulitis. Participants in the control group who had an episode of cellulitis crossed over to the compression group. Secondary outcomes included cellulitis-related hospital admission and quality-of-life assessments. RESULTS: A total of 183 patients were screened, and 84 were enrolled; 41 participants were assigned to the compression group, and 43 to the control group. At the time of a planned interim analysis, when 23 episodes of cellulitis had occurred, 6 participants (15%) in the compression group and 17 (40%) in the control group had had an episode of cellulitis (hazard ratio, 0.23; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.09 to 0.59; P = 0.002; relative risk [post hoc analysis], 0.37; 95% CI, 0.16 to 0.84; P = 0.02), and the trial was stopped for efficacy. A total of 3 participants (7%) in the compression group and 6 (14%) in the control group were hospitalized for cellulitis (hazard ratio, 0.38; 95% CI, 0.09 to 1.59). Most quality-of-life outcomes did not differ between the two groups. No adverse events occurred during the trial. CONCLUSIONS: In this small, single-center, nonblinded trial involving patients with chronic edema of the leg and cellulitis, compression therapy resulted in a lower incidence of recurrence of cellulitis than conservative treatment. (Funded by Calvary Public Hospital Bruce; Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry number, ACTRN12617000412336.).

Incidence, seasonal pattern, and clinical manifestations of Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis bacteremia; a population-based study.

Streptococcus dysgalactiae subspecies equisimilis (SDSE) is a human pathogen causing severe invasive infections. Population-based studies on SDSE bacteremia are limited. The purpose of this study was to investigate the incidence, seasonal pattern, clinical manifestations, and recurrence of SDSE bacteraemia. Records regarding patients aged ≥ 18 years with SDSE bacteremia in the Pirkanmaa health district in August 2015 to July 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 230 SDSE bacteremia episodes were identified, with 217 episodes (involving 211 patients) available for analysis. The mean annual incidence rate of SDSE bacteremia was 16.9/100 000 inhabitants. Most episodes (33%) were detected in the summer (June to August) (p = 0.058). Episodes with bacteremic cellulitis were statistically significantly more common during the summer compared with other seasons (p = 0.008). Cellulitis was the most common presenting clinical manifestation of SDSE bacteremia (68% of all episodes). Risk factors of recurring bacteremia were chronic eczema and/or skin erosion (OR 3.96 [95% CI 1.11-14.1]), heart disease (OR 3.56 [95% CI 1.22-10.4]), diabetes (OR 3.77 [95% CI 1.35-10.5]) and a history of cellulitis. We found a remarkably high incidence of SDSE bacteraemia in the Pirkanmaa health district. Bacteraemic cellulitis, which was the predominant clinical manifestation is more often occurred in the summer. Risk factors of recurring SDSE bacteremia were a history of cellulitis, chronic eczema or skin erosion, diabetes, and heart disease.

Bacterial findings in patients referred to hospital for the treatment of acute tonsillitis with or without peritonsillar phlegmon.

BACKGROUND: The vast majority of patients with acute tonsillitis (AT) are managed in general practice. However, occasionally patients are referred to hospital for specialized management because of aggravated symptoms and/or findings suggestive of peritonsillar involvement. No prospective studies have been conducted aiming to investigate the prevalent and significant microorganisms in this highly selected group of patients. We aimed to describe the microbiological findings of acute tonsillitis with or without peritonsillar phlegmon (PP) in patients referred for hospital treatment and to point out potential pathogens using the following principles to suggest pathogenic significance: (1) higher prevalence in patients compared to healthy controls, (2) higher abundance in patients compared to controls, and (3) higher prevalence at time of infection compared to time of follow up. METHODS: Meticulous and comprehensive cultures were performed on tonsillar swabs from 64 patients with AT with (n = 25) or without (n = 39) PP and 55 healthy controls, who were prospectively enrolled at two Danish Ear-Nose-Throat Departments between June 2016 and December 2019. RESULTS: Streptococcus pyogenes was significantly more prevalent in patients (27%) compared to controls (4%) (p < 0.001). Higher abundance was found in patients compared to controls for Fusobacterium necrophorum (mean 2.4 vs. 1.4, p = 0.017) and S. pyogenes (mean 3.1 vs. 2.0, p = 0.045) in semi-quantitative cultures. S. pyogenes, Streptococcus dysgalactiae, and Prevotella species were significantly more prevalent at time of infection compared to follow up (p = 0.016, p = 0.016, and p = 0.039, respectively). A number of species were detected significantly less frequently in patients compared to controls and the mean number of species was significantly lower in patients compared to controls (6.5 vs. 8.3, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Disregarding Prevotella spp. because of the prevalence in healthy controls (100%), our findings suggest that S. pyogenes, F. necrophorum, and S. dysgalactiae are significant pathogens in severe AT with or without PP. In addition, infections were associated with reduced diversity (dysbacteriosis). TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study is registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov protocol database (# 52,683). The study was approved by the Ethical Committee at Aarhus County (# 1-10-72-71-16) and by the Danish Data Protection Agency (# 1-16-02-65-16).

Early Anti-Tumor-Necrosis-Factor Therapy for Crohn's Disease-Related Abdominal Abscesses and Phlegmon in Children.

BACKGROUND: Internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complications, including abscesses and phlegmon, represent a high-risk Crohn's Disease phenotype. Anti-tumor-necrosis-factor-α (Anti-TNF) therapies are effective in treating penetrating Crohn's Disease and early initiation has shown unique benefits. However, timing of anti-TNF initiation in the setting of internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complications is typically heterogenous due to concern over precipitating serious infections. Recent studies demonstrate such an association may not exist. AIMS: We aimed to describe the multidisciplinary management of pediatric patients with internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complications, focusing on the utilization and timing of anti-TNF therapy relative to complication resolution and adverse events. METHODS: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of pediatric patients with internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complications from 2007 to 2021. The safety and effectiveness of anti-TNF therapy initiation prior to complication resolution was assessed by comparing rates of infectious and Crohn's Disease-related adverse events between those who received anti-TNF therapy prior to complication resolution, versus those who did not. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients with internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complications were identified. 7/21 received anti-TNF therapy prior to complication resolution. Infectious adverse events within 90 days of complication occurred in 0/7 patients initiating anti-TNF therapy prior to complication resolution and 10/14 patients who did not (p = 0.004). Crohn's Disease-related surgeries and hospitalizations within 1 year of complication occurred in 12/20 patients, with similar frequency between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Initiating anti-TNF therapy prior to internally penetrating Crohn's Disease complication resolution may be a safe and effective strategy to improve clinical outcomes.

Are insect bites responsible for the rise in summer flucloxacillin prescribing in United Kingdom general practices?

BACKGROUND: Insect bite inflammation may mimic cellulitis and promote unnecessary antibiotic usage, contributing to antimicrobial resistance in primary care. We wondered how general practice clinicians assess and manage insect bites, diagnose cellulitis, and prescribe antibiotics. METHOD: This is a Quality Improvement study in which 10 general practices in England and Wales investigated patients attending for the first time with insect bites between April and September 2021 to their practices. Mode of consultation, presentation, management plan, and reattendance or referral were noted. Total practice flucloxacillin prescribing was compared to that for insect bites. RESULTS: A combined list size of 161,346 yielded 355 insect bite consultations. Nearly two-thirds were female, ages 3-89 years old, with July as the peak month and a mean weekly incidence of 8 per 100,000. GPs still undertook most consultations; most were phone consultations, with photo support for over half. Over 40% presented between days 1 and 3 and common symptoms were redness, itchness, pain, and heat. Vital sign recording was not common, and only 22% of patients were already taking an antihistamine despite 45% complaining of itch. Antibiotics were prescribed to nearly three-quarters of the patients, mainly orally and mostly as flucloxacillin. Reattendance occurred for 12% and referral to hospital for 2%. Flucloxacillin for insect bites contributed a mean of 5.1% of total practice flucloxacillin prescriptions, with a peak of 10.7% in July. CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotics are likely to be overused in our insect bite practice and patients could make more use of antihistamines for itch before consulting.

It can be difficult to know if redness, heat, swelling, and pain from insect bites are due to inflammation or infection. Prescribing unnecessary antibiotics may result in germs becoming resistant to antibiotics when needed. Ten general practices in England and Wales investigated their management of insect bites in the 6 months of April to September 2021 inclusive. There were 355 bites; women presented more often than men, and ages were from 3 to 89 years old, half of them were 30­69 years old. People mainly consulted their GP by phone with photos of their bites. Key symptoms were redness, itchness, heat, and pain. More people had itch than were taking antihistamines or using steroid cream. Most people (nearly 7 out of 10) were prescribed an oral antibiotic, usually flucloxacillin, which accounted for about 5% of total flucloxacillin prescribed in the practices. Only 2 in 100 people needed further hospital care. It is likely that general practice clinicians are over-using antibiotics for insect bites and that home management before seeking medical help with painkillers, antihistamines, and steroid creams could be used more. Now that we have baseline data, there is a need to set up studies to prove that these reduce antibiotic usage.

The Needle and the Damage Done: A Retrospective Review of the Health Impact of Recreational Intravenous Drug Use and the Collateral Consequences for Vascular Surgery.

BACKGROUND: The UK has one of the highest rates of recreational drug use and consequent deaths in Europe. Scotland is the "Drug deaths capital of Europe." Intravenous drug use can result in limb- and life-threatening pathology. This study aimed to characterise limb-related admissions associated with intravenous drug use, outcomes and healthcare expenditure. METHODS: Retrospective data collection between December 2011 and August 2018. Patients were identified through discharge codes. Admission details were extracted from electronic records and a database compiled. Statistical analyses were performed using Statistical Package for the Social Science, P < 0.05 denoted significance. RESULTS: There were 558 admissions for 330 patients (1-9 admissions/patient), mean age 37 years (+/-7.6 SD) and 196 (59.2%; 319 admissions, 57.2%) were male. Three hundred forty-eight (62.4%) admissions were to surgical specialties, predominantly Vascular Surgery (247). Including onward referrals, Vascular ultimately managed 54.8% of admissions. Patients presented with multiple pathologies: 249 groin abscesses; 38 other abscesses; 74 pseudoaneurysms; 102 necrotising soft tissue infections (NSTI); 85 cellulitis; 138 deep venous thrombosis (DVTs); 28 infected DVTs and 70 other diagnoses. Two hundred and seventy-seven admissions (220 patients) required operations, with 361 procedures performed (1-7 operations/admission). There were 24 major limb amputations and 74 arterial ligations. Eleven amputations were due to NSTI and 13 followed ligation (17.6% of ligations). During follow-up 50 (15.2%) patients died, of which 6 (12%) had amputations (OR 3.2, 95% CI 1.04-9.61, P = 0.043). Cumulative cost of acute care was £4,783,241. CONCLUSIONS: Limb-related sequalae of intravenous drug use represents a substantial surgical workload, especially for Vascular. These are complex, high-risk patients with poor outcomes and high healthcare costs.

Cellulitis in chronic oedema of the lower leg: an international cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Cellulitis and chronic oedema are common conditions with considerable morbidity. The number of studies designed to assess the epidemiology of cellulitis in chronic oedema is scarce. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the prevalence and risk factors of cellulitis in chronic leg oedema, including lymphoedema. METHODS: A cross-sectional study included 40 sites in nine countries during 2014-17. Adults with clinically proven unilateral or bilateral chronic oedema (oedema > 3 months) of the lower leg were included. The main outcome measures were frequency and risk factors for cellulitis within the last 12 months. RESULTS: Out of 7477 patients, 15·78% had cellulitis within the last 12 months, with a lifetime prevalence of 37·47%. The following risk factors for cellulitis were identified by multivariable analysis: wounds [odds ratio (OR) 2·37, 95% confidence interval (CI) 2·03-2·78], morbid obesity (OR 1·51, 95% CI 1·27-1·80), obesity (OR 1·21, 95% CI 1·03-1·41), midline swelling (OR 1·32, 95% CI 1·04-1·66), male sex (OR 1·32, 95% CI 1·15-1·52) and diabetes (OR 1·27, 95% CI 1·08-1·49). Controlled swelling was associated with a reduced risk (OR 0·59, 95% CI 0·51-0·67). In a subgroup analysis, the risk increased with the stage of oedema [International Society of Lymphology, stage II OR 2·04 (95% CI 1·23-3·38) and stage III OR 4·88 (95% CI 2·77-8·56)]. CONCLUSIONS: Cellulitis in chronic leg oedema is a global problem. Several risk factors for cellulitis were identified, of which some are potentially preventable. Our findings suggest that oedema control is one of these. We also identified that advanced stages of oedema, with hard/fibrotic tissue, might be an important clinical indicator to identify patients at particular risk.

Burden, risk factors, and infectious complications of cellulitis and erysipelas in US adults and children in the emergency department setting.

BACKGROUND: Little is known about the use and burden of emergency department (ED) visits for cellulitis/erysipelas in the United States. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, risk factors, complications, and cost of emergency care for cellulitis/erysipelas in the United States. METHODS: Cross-sectional study of the 2006 to 2016 National Emergency Department Sample, including a 20% sample of US ED visits (N = 320,080,467). RESULTS: The mean annual incidence of ED visits with a primary diagnosis of cellulitis/erysipelas was 2.42 to 3.55 per million adult and 1.14 to 2.09 per million pediatric ED visits. ED visits for cellulitis/erysipelas decreased significantly from 2006 to 2015 (Rao-Scott chi-square, P < .0001). ED visits with versus without a primary diagnosis of cellulitis/erysipelas were associated with public or no insurance and lower household income quartiles, and were more likely to occur during weekends and summer months. The mean cost of ED visits for cellulitis/erysipelas more than doubled in adults (from $720 to $1680) and tripled in children (from $939 to $2,823) from 2006 to 2016. ED visits for cellulitis/erysipelas were associated with multiple risk factors and increased infectious complications. LIMITATIONS: No data on cellulitis and erysipelas treatment or recurrence. CONCLUSION: There is a substantial and increasing burden of ED visits for cellulitis/erysipelas in the United States. Many ED visits occurred for uncomplicated cellulitis/erysipelas, in part because of health care disparities.

Canine Retrobulbar Cellulitis and Abscessation in the Southeastern United States: A review of case management, diagnostic imaging, bacterial isolates, and susceptibility patterns.

OBJECTIVE: To describe common bacterial organisms cultured from retrobulbar cellulitis and abscess lesions, in vitro susceptibility patterns, common diagnostic techniques utilized, etiologies encountered, and prevalence of blindness. ANIMALS STUDIED: Thirty-eight dogs diagnosed with retrobulbar cellulitis or abscessation from 2007 to 2017. PROCEDURE: For cases of orbital cellulitis or abscess, signalment, orbital imaging, cytology, histopathology, bacterial culture and susceptibility testing, presence of vision at the initial examination and resolution, and presumed cellulitis/abscess etiology were recorded. RESULTS: Most cases were medically (78.9%) versus surgically managed (18.4%). Most common form of orbital imaging was computed tomography (48.5%) followed by ocular ultrasound (18.2%). Fifteen of eighteen cultures (83.3%) showed growth of aerobic bacterial organisms, anaerobic bacterial organisms, or both. Most common aerobic bacteria were gram-negative bacilli (40.0%) followed by Corynebacterium sp. (26.7%) and α-hemolytic Streptococci sp. (26.7%) but Micrococcus and Bacillus spp. were also identified. Most common anaerobic bacteria were gram-negative bacilli (40.0%). Antibiotics with highest susceptibility patterns included gentamicin, followed equally by amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, cephalothin, chloramphenicol, and imipenem. No bacteria were susceptible to cefovecin. Six cases presented with vision loss due to retrobulbar disease (15.8%). Idiopathic (50%) disease and tooth root abscessation (23.7%) were most commonly diagnosed cause of orbital disease. CONCLUSION: Retrobulbar cellulitis/abscess is a serious and vision-threatening process, which can be effectively managed by broad-spectrum antibiotics such as gentamicin or amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, but not cefovecin. This study identified three organisms that have not been previously reported to be associated with orbital cellulitis (Corynebacterium sp., Bacillus sp. and Micrococcus sp.).

The prevalence of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma in patients admitted with symptoms of peritonsillar abscess or cellulitis: A retrospective multicentre study.

OBJECTIVES: Anecdotal evidence suggests that oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) should be suspected in patients presenting with symptoms of peritonsillar abscess (PTA) or cellulitis (PTC). The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of OPSCC in patients presenting with symptoms of PTA/PTC. METHOD, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: We retrospectively identified all adults with a coded diagnosis of PTA or PTC who presented between 2012 and 2016 inclusive, across six ENT units in Merseyside. Records were compared to that of the centralised regional head and neck cancer database. The clinical records of a subset of patients were reviewed for the purposes of data validation. RESULTS: A total of 1975 patients with PTA/PTC were identified. Three patients were subsequently diagnosed with OPSCC. None of the three actually had an objective underlying diagnosis of PTA/PTC on the same side. The prevalence of OPSCC in patients admitted with symptoms of PTA/PTC was 0.15% or approximately 1:650 admissions. The records of 510 patients who presented over a one-year period (2016) were reviewed in even greater detail. There were 298 patients with PTA (59.4%) and 151 with PTC (29.1%) and 61 had an alternative diagnosis (11.9%). High-risk features (age ≥40, tonsillar asymmetry or tonsillar lesion) were present in 106 patients (24%). Urgent follow-up was expedited for 77 patients (73%). CONCLUSION: This study estimates the risk of OPSCC in patients with peritonsillar symptoms. The prevalence is low, even in a region with a relatively heavy disease burden. Clinicians should, however, retain a high level of suspicion in patients with persistent symptoms.

An Epidemiological Analysis of Pediatric Dog Bite Injuries Over a Decade.

BACKGROUND: An estimated 800,000 dog bites require medical attention every year. The purpose of this study is to review the characteristics of dog bite injuries in children and examine temporal trends. METHODS: The Kids' Inpatient Database was used to identify pediatric patients with dog bite injuries over a 10-y period. Demographic data, primary payer, injury characteristics, length of hospitalization, and treatments were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed in SAS 9.3 (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC). RESULTS: A total of 6308 patients were identified. Average age at time of injury was 6.4 ± 4.3 y. Children under age 5 y were the most affected subgroup (39.3% in 2000 versus 44.7% in 2009, P < 0.001). Most bites were to the head/neck and significantly increased from 53.9% in 2000 to 60.1% in 2009. Cellulitis complicated many injuries (33.7% in 2000 versus 44.8% in 2009, P < 0.001). Overall, 50% of patients underwent a procedure; 31% had an invasive surgical procedure; and 5.1% of patients required skin grafts or flaps. CONCLUSIONS: Dog bites are a common cause of pediatric injuries and are a significant burden on families and the health care system. Evaluating the characteristics of these injuries can guide educational efforts.

Clinical features, microbiological epidemiology and recommendations for management of cellulitis in extremity lymphedema.

BACKGROUND: This high volume, single center study investigated the prevalence, bacterial epidemiology, and responsiveness to antibiotic therapy of cellulitis in extremity lymphedema. METHODS: From 2003 to 2018, cellulitis events from a cohort of 420 patients with extremity lymphedema were reviewed. Demographics, lymphedema grading, symptoms, inflammatory markers, cultures and antibiotic therapy regimens were compiled from cellulitis episodes data. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed for detailed analysis. RESULTS: A total of 131 separate episodes of cellulitis were recorded from 43 (81.1%) lower limb and 10 (19.9%) upper limb lymphedema patients. The prevalence and recurrence rates for cellulitis in lymphedema patients were 12.6% (53 of 420) and 56.6% (30 of 53), respectively. The most common findings were increased limb circumference (127 of 131; 96.9%) and abnormal C-reactive protein (CRP) level (86 of 113; 76.1%). Blood cultures were obtained in 79 (60.3%) incidents, with 9 (11.4%) returning positive. Streptococcus agalactiae was the most isolated bacterium (5 of 9; 55.5%). CONCLUSIONS: The cellulitis prevalence and recurrence rate in extremity lymphedema were 12.6%, and 56.6%, respectively. Strongest indicators of cellulitis were increased affected limb circumference and elevated CRP level. Empiric antibiotic therapy began with coverage for Steptococcus species before broadening to anti-Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and anti-Gram negatives if needed for effective treatment of extremity lymphedema cellulitis.

Complicated skin and soft tissue infections in remote indigenous communities.

The burden and consequences of skin infections for remote living indigenous people are high. While skin infections are recognised as an antecedent to conditions such as acute rheumatic fever in children, data are limited concerning skin infection complications such as cellulitis, abscesses and osteomyelitis in older children and adults. In a 1-year retrospective audit of 439 patients presenting to two remote health clinics, 330/439 (75%) patients presented with a skin infection and 18 (4%) developed a complication.

Analysis of risk factors for dermatitis and cellulitis in turkeys using abattoir post mortem data.

1. Cellulitis and dermatitis are often seen in turkeys at slaughter and are, in many cases, reasons for rejection at meat inspection. Using the results of meat inspections and information about the housing conditions of the animals may provide information on causative factors in the development of cellulitis and dermatitis. 2. A census of two years of turkey production in a company including both fattening farms and an abattoir in the north of England was used to study the relationship between the prevalence of cellulitis/dermatitis and mechanical versus natural ventilation in the poultry house, litter type (long straw, short straw and wood shavings) and stocking density. 3. The overall prevalence of cellulitis and dermatitis in this population was 0.12 %, which was extremely low compared to reports in the literature. In mechanically ventilated houses, the odds of developing cellulitis and/or dermatitis was significantly higher than in naturally ventilated houses (Odds Ratio 3.18). Long straw had a protective effect compared to wood shavings (Odds Ratio 0.18). 4. The study showed that using slaughter data can be helpful in studying on-farm risk factors for disease development.

Impact of health care-associated community-onset cellulitis in Korea: a multicenter study.

We conducted a multicenter study to determine the clinical and microbiological characteristics of health care-associated (HCA) cellulitis in Korea. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who had been diagnosed with community-onset cellulitis. Of the 2208 cellulitis patients, 232 (10.5%) had HCA cellulitis, 1243 (56.3%) patients were hospitalized, and 15 (0.7%) died in hospital. Compared with community-acquired (CA) cellulitis, patients with HCA cellulitis were older and more frequently presented with comorbidity and septic shock. A total of 355 microorganisms were isolated from 314 patients (14.2%). Staphylococcus aureus (134 isolates) was the most common organism, followed by Streptococcus spp. (86 isolates) and Gram-negative fermenters (58 isolates). Methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) accounted for 29.1% (39/134) of S. aureus infections. None of the Gram-negative fermenters were resistant to carbapenem. The antibiotic susceptibility pattern of isolated microorganisms was not different between HCA and CA cellulitis. In patients with HCA cellulitis, S. aureus (11.2% [26/232] vs. 5.5% [108/1976], p = 0.001), including MRSA (4.3% [10/232] vs. 1.5% [29/1976], p = 0.003) and Gram-negative fermenters (6.0% [14/232] vs. 2.3% [44/1976], p = 0.002), were more common causative organisms than in CA-cellulitis patients. Age ≥ 65 years, septic shock, and HCA infection were statistically significant factors associated with in-hospital mortality.

Adherence to antibiotic guidelines for erysipelas or cellulitis is associated with a favorable outcome.

Outside areas of S. aureus strains resistant to methicillin (MRSA) in the community, no studies showed a relationship between the treatment for erysipelas or cellulitis and the outcome. We aimed to measure the impact of an internal therapeutic protocol, based on national guidelines on patients' outcome. This study was based on the dashboard of the infectious diseases department, which prospectively includes 28 parameters for all admitted patients. We included community-acquired erysipelas and cellulitis; exclusion criteria were abscesses at admission; ear, nose, throat, or dental cellulitis; pyomyositis; and length of stay ≤ 2 days. Adherence to guidelines was defined by the use of amoxicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, clindamycin, or pristinamycin, alone or in combination or successively. A poor outcome was defined by surgical procedure or intensive care requirement or death occurring after 5 days or more of antibiotic therapy. From July 2005 to June 2017, 630 cases of erysipelas or cellulitis were included. Blood cultures performed in 567 patients (90%) were positive in 39 cases (6.9%). Adherence rate to guidelines was 65% (410 cases). A poor outcome was recorded in 54 (8.5%) patients, less frequently in case of adherence to guidelines: 26/410 (6.3%) vs 28/220 (12.7%), p = 0.007. In logistic regression analysis, two risk factors were associated with a poor outcome: peripheral arterial disease, AOR 4.80 (2.20-10.49); and bacteremia, AOR 5.21 (2.31-11.76), while guideline adherence was the only modifiable protective factor, OR 0.48 (0.26-0.89). In erysipelas and cellulitis, adherence to guidelines was associated with a favorable outcome.

The association of cellulitis incidence and meteorological factors in Taiwan.

Cellulitis is a common infection of the skin and soft tissue. Susceptibility to cellulitis is related to microorganism virulence, the host immunity status and environmental factors. This retrospective study from 2001 to 2013 investigated relationships between the monthly incidence rate of cellulitis and meteorological factors using data from the Taiwanese Health Insurance Dataset and the Taiwanese Central Weather Bureau. Meteorological data included temperature, hours of sunshine, relative humidity, total rainfall and total number of rainy days. In otal, 195 841 patients were diagnosed with cellulitis and the incidence rate was strongly correlated with temperature (γS = 0.84, P < 0.001), total sunshine hours (γS = 0.65, P < 0.001) and total rainfall (γS = 0.53, P < 0.001). The incidence rate of cellulitis increased by 3.47/100 000 cases for every 1° elevation in environmental temperature. Our results may assist clinicians in educating the public of the increased risk of cellulitis during warm seasons and possible predisposing environmental factors for infection.

Lower limb cellulitis: low diagnostic accuracy and underdiagnosis of risk factors.

Accurate diagnosis and recognition of predisposing factors has been shown to be challenging in lower limb cellulitis (LLC). Assessment of 1746 consecutive patients with cellulitis presenting to a UK university hospital showed increasing overdiagnosis, with only 31.9% of patients referred during the period 2015-2018 having the diagnosis of LLC confirmed. Recognition of at least one predisposing factor increased from 61% to 89% following introduction of more specific screening questions. This identified a need for better primary care dermatology education and the benefit of a proforma with specific screening questions for reversible predisposing factors for LLC.

Seasonal and regional patterns of lower leg cellulitis in Western Australia.

BACKGROUND: Lower leg cellulitis (LLC) is a common infection that is usually caused by Streptococcus pyogenes or other beta-haemolytic streptococci. We hypothesised that in Western Australia (WA), LLC is a summer disease and would be more common in the northern, tropical regions. METHODS: We conducted a statewide data linkage of adult patients presenting to WA hospitals with a first ever diagnosis of LLC, from January 2002 through December 2013 according to the region and season. RESULTS: A total of 36 276 cases presented with a primary episode of LLC. The northern regions of the Kimberley (2.26 (2.13-2.39), P < 0.001) and midwest (1.13 (1.06-1.20), P < 0.001) had higher incidence rates than the Perth metropolitan region, while the southern regions of Southwest, Great Southern and Goldfields had lower incidence rates (0.89 (0.85-0.93), P < 0.001; 0.81 (0.75-0.88), P < 0.001; and 0.77 (0.71-0.83), P < 0.001, respectively). The total number of primary cases was higher in summer (10 570 (29.1%, 95% confidence interval 28.7-29.6), P < 0.0001) and autumn (9306 (25.7%, 95% confidence interval 25.2-26.1), P = 0.004). Seasonality of LLC was observed in all WA regions except those in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Great Southern regions. CONCLUSION: In most non-tropical regions of WA, LLC is a summer disease, while in the warmer tropical regions of WA where year-round temperatures are higher, no seasonality was observed, but overall incidence of LLC presentations were higher. These findings may have important implications for public health messaging and research around prevention of LLC.