Types of antibiotics for cellulitis

Cellulitis is a bacterial infection of deeper skin layers. A clinician may choose an antibiotic taken by mouth for a local, stable infection, while a more extensive or severe infection may need treatment in hospital through a vein. The choice is not based on redness alone.

A swab, blood test or other assessment may be needed when there is drainage, a wound, repeated infection or concern about an unusual organism. Tell the prescriber about drug allergies, kidney problems, pregnancy, recent antibiotics and medicines you take.

Take the prescribed medicine exactly as directed and do not share leftover antibiotics. Keep the area clean, avoid squeezing it, and elevate an affected limb when practical. Marking the edge of redness can help you notice whether it is spreading, but it does not replace review.

If symptoms are not starting to settle after the timeframe given by your clinician, contact them. A different antibiotic, drainage of an abscess, or treatment of an entry point such as a wound may be needed. Antibiotics do not treat viral illnesses such as most acute bronchitis.

Get urgent medical help if redness spreads quickly, pain is severe or out of proportion, the skin becomes blistered or dark, or you develop fever, chills, confusion, weakness or fast breathing. Seek prompt assessment for infection near the eye, on the face, over a joint, or in someone with diabetes or a weakened immune system.

Ask which bacteria the treatment is intended to cover, how to take it, which side effects need action, and when improvement should begin. Confirm what to do if you miss a dose, develop a rash or cannot keep the medicine down.