Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSigns and SymptomsCausesRisk FactorsTreatmentsPrevention
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Signs and Symptoms
Causes
Risk Factors
Treatments
Prevention
Cellulitisis an infection of the skin that typically happens after a break in the integrity of the skin. A break in the skin can be something as small as a paper cut or a similar wound or could be a crack in dry skin. Essentially, any break in the skin can become a doorway for bacteria to enter and create an infection in the skin. However, it isnot contagious.
Surgery patients often have large or multiple incision sites wherecellulitiscan develop after their procedure, making proper wound care especially important until the wound is completely healed.
It is normal for bacteria to be on the skin. In fact, bacteria live on the surface of normal, healthy skin. These bacteria are referred to as “normal flora.” When skin is not healthy or has an opening such as a wound, the bacteria that make up the normal flora can penetrate to the lower levels of the skin, where the infection begins and, in some cases, becomes cellulitis.
Most skininfectionsstart with redness around the area of the incision, but there may also be pus, pain, and heat in the area. Cellulitis, which is a specific type of skin infection, typically results in a red and painful area of skin that seems to start abruptly and quickly becomes larger over the next day. The skin is typically angry in appearance, hot to the touch, and may appear tight and/or shiny. Often there is a very distinct border to the area of redness at the edges.
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See PhotoCellulitis on a woman’s leg.Dr. P. Marazzi / Science Photo Library / Getty Images
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.See Photo
This photo contains content that some people may find graphic or disturbing.
Knowing the type of bacteria responsible for the infection makes it possible for your healthcare team to choose the right antibiotic for treatment. An antibiotic may be the perfect treatment for one type of bacteria and not work at all on another type of bacteria.
Any condition that causes a break in the skin can be a risk factor for cellulitis. Surgery is a major risk factor for any type of skin infection due to the incision(s) necessary to perform a procedure. Incisions are sometimes large, or in some cases, there are multiple incisions, which increase the risk of an incision.
Poor wound care can be another risk factor for cellulitis, as a routine and gentle cleansing of the incisions is key to prevention of incision infections. That said, too much cleaning of a wound can make it dry and irritated, which can also create more ways for bacteria to enter the skin.
Remember that a large wound is not necessary for a skin infection to begin. A small wound such as an insect bite, a hangnail, or even a skinned knee can be enough to allow the infection to set in. Luckily, the average person can easily fight off infection, and cellulitis is not a very common surgical complication.
A weakened immune system makes cellulitis more likely, as does advanced age.Diabetics, in particular, are at risk for cellulitisbecause their immune system is often impaired and they may have diminished sensation, which can result in the infection being further along before it is first noted.
Any infection of a surgical incision, or even a suspected infection, should be reported to the surgeon. Redness around a wound is often normal, but pus, drainage, increasing pain, heat at the site, and fever should all be an indication that care is needed. Surgical incisions require immediate treatment: a wait-and-see approach can lead to a more serious infection that is far more difficult to control.
For most patients diagnosed with cellulitis, an oral antibiotic is adequate to treat the issue. However, in serious cases, a stay in the hospital and IV antibiotics may be needed. For most people, 1-2 weeks of antibiotics should be adequate to control the infection and prevent more serious complications.
Ignoring cellulitis can have very serious consequences, ranging from cellulitis that lingers longer than necessary to cellulitis that spreads from a small area to a large area of adjacent skin. Cellulitis can also become a serious systemic infection calledsepsis. Prompt treatment can dramatically reduce healing time, the amount of treatment required, and long-term complications.
Preventing any infectioncan be as simple asgood hand washing. Preventing cellulitis can be as simple as following the surgeon’s instructions forcaring for your surgical incision, including taking the time to keep it clean and changing your bandage as appropriate.
If you have dry skin, drinking more water and using lotion or ointment on your skin (not at a surgery site) can help prevent breaks in the skin and prevent infection.
A Word From Verywell
If you suspect a cellulitis infection in a wound, surgical or otherwise, it is best to seek treatment from a skilled healthcare provider without delay. Wound infections can quickly go from a minor nuisance to a major problem in very little time. It is hard to imagine that a wound infection can become a life-threatening problem, but, in some cases, cellulitis can be difficult to control and challenging to treat.
6 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Cleveland Clinic.Cellulitis; 2019.
Chang GH, Ding MC, Yang YH, et al. High risk of deep neck infection in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: A nationwide population-based cohort study.J Clin Med. 2018;7(11):E385. doi:10.3390/jcm7110385.
Raff AB, Kroshinsky D.Cellulitis: A review.JAMA. 2016;316(3):325-37. doi:10.1001/jama.2016.8825
Sullivan T, de Barra E.Diagnosis and management of cellulitis.Clin Med (Lond). 2018;18(2):160–163. doi:10.7861/clinmedicine.18-2-160
American Academy of Dermatology.Cellulitis: How to prevent it from returning.
Bissett L.Skin care as a tool in the prevention of health care-associated infection.Br J Community Nurs. 2010;15(5):226, 228, 231. doi:10.12968/bjcn.2010.15.5.47947
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