Dilemmas when managing cellulitis

Cellulitis is commonly seen in primary care. It is also a common reason for hospital admission accounting, for example, for around 3% of emergency medical consultations at one UK district general hospital. Here, we review the management of cellulitis, and try to resolve some common dilemmas: whether a patient with cellulitis should be treated in hospital; which antibacterial to use; whether it should be given orally or parenterally; and whether patients with recurrent cellulitis should take prophylactic antibacterials.