A Clinical Study of Inpatients with Cellulitis over the Recent 5 Years

Min, Jung; Nam, Jae Hui; Jung, Ho Joo; Park, Ji Hye; Lee, Ga Young; Kim, Won Serk

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Cellulitis is an acute infection of the dermal and subcutaneous layers of the skin, which is commonly treated by a dermatologist but there are few reports about clinical data on cellulitis in Korean literature.
OBJECTIVE
This study evaluated the clinical characteristics of inpatients diagnosed as cellulitis in the recent 5 years.
METHODS
We reviewed the medical records of 77 patients who were diagnosed as cellulitis and hospitalized at the Kangbuk Samsung Hospital from March 2008 to February 2013.
RESULTS
The study included data from 77 patients with cellulitis (mean age, 51.7 years; 44 men, 33 women). There was a positive correlation between age and hospitalized days (p<0.05). Cellulitis most frequently occurred in the foot (32.1%). The most common cutaneous symptoms were erythema, tenderness, and swelling (100%), and the most common systemic symptom was fever (23.4%). Tinea pedis was the most common cause of cellulitis (31.2%). Elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) was observed in 30 patients (40%) and there were positive correlations not only between CRP and hospitalized days (p<0.05) but also between white blood cell (WBC) count and hospitalized days (p<0.05). First-generation cephalosporin was chosen as the primary antibiotic in 33 patients (40.3%) and the mean duration of antibiotic treatment was 12.4 days. There was no significant difference of hospitalized days between first-generation cephalosporin and other antibiotics (p>0.05). Systemic steroid was administered in 21 patients (27.3%), and was not significantly related to hospitalized days (p>0.05).
CONCLUSION
The clinical course of cellulitis was inversely correlated to the elevation of patient's age, WBC count, and CRP.