Which Are the Most Common Antibiotics for Cellulitis?

Cellulitis is a skin disease brought about by bacterial infection. There are several types of antibiotics for cellulitis treatment. These include amoxicillin, amoxicillin clavulanate, clindamycin, and penicillin. Different generations of cephalosporins are also commonly used antibiotics for cellulitis. Physicians usually choose one of these antibiotics depending on what specific bacteria is causing the infection.

Bacteria usually enter the skin whenever an injury or break in the skin occurs. Signs of cellulitis infection include redness, swelling, pain, and warmth of the affected skin involved. Swollen lymph nodes, muscle pains, and fever are also usually present during an infection. Diagnosis of cellulitis is often based on these symptoms, the medical history, physical examination, and on the results of the diagnostic tests performed on such patients. Patients are then prescribed antibiotics for cellulitis.

The prescribed antibiotics for cellulitis caused by Staphylococcus aureus and Group A Streptococcus are clindamycin and cephalexin. These are usually given for mild cases of infection. Mild infections are often treated at home. Patients are generally advised to take the medications for 10 to 14 days and to follow up with their physicians for evaluation of their response to treatment. In severe cases, where the organisms involved are found to be resistant to methicillin, the same medications are frequently given but with the addition of a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole.

Depending also on how the infection was transmitted, other antibiotics are also used to treat cellulitis. For dog bites where a person may be infected with Pasteurella canis, Streptococcus pyogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus, the medications commonly given are amoxicillin clavulanate, or clindamycin with trimethoprim, and sulfamethoxazole. The same medications may also be given for human bites and cat bites. In severe infections caused by dog bites, cat bites, and human bites, third-generation cephalosporin like ceftriaxone, and other stronger antibiotics for cellulitis are frequently given.

Some patients who develop severe or complicated infections may also need to be admitted to the hospital for proper treatment and monitoring. For these patients, antibiotics for cellulitis are often given through the vein. Symptoms of complicated cellulitis include rapid heart rate, low blood pressure, alteration in thinking, and fever.

Other factors that increase the risk of cellulitis include the presence of surgical wounds, insect bites, diabetic ulcers, and cracks or peeling in the skin. The use of medications such as those that suppress the immune system can also predispose patients to the development of cellulitis. Once signs and symptoms of infection are noticed, patients are encouraged to go to their physicians for evaluation in order to be given antibiotics for cellulitis and thus, prevent further complications.