Vancomycin Recommended for Cellulitis Treatment

Author: Henry Ford Health System
Published: 24 Oct 2010 - Updated: 30 Dec 2023
Publication Details: Peer-Reviewed, Instructive / Helpful

Contents: Synopsis - Definition - Introduction - Main - Related Publications

Synopsis: Cellulitis should be treated as a first line of defense with the antibiotic drug vancomycin rather than other antibiotics such as penicillin.

With MRSA skin and soft tissue infections increasing, researchers sought to compare the two groups of antibiotics commonly used for treating hospitalized patients with cellulitis.

Topic Definition: Cellulitis

Cellulitis is a common bacterial skin infection that causes redness, swelling, and pain in the infected area of the skin. Generally, cellulitis appears as a red, swollen, and painful area of skin that is warm and tender to the touch. Sometimes the bacteria gets into the body through openings in the skin, like an injury or surgical wound. In general, people cannot catch cellulitis from someone else - it is not contagious. If Cellulitis is left untreated, it can spread and cause serious health problems.

Introduction

Patients admitted to the hospital for the common bacterial skin infection cellulitis should be treated as a first line of defense with the potent antibiotic drug vancomycin rather than other antibiotics such as penicillin, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

Main Content

For some time, medical practice guidelines have been ambiguous about whether vancomycin or so-called B-lactam antibiotics like penicillin or cephalosporins was the more appropriate therapy for treating patients admitted for cellulitis. If left untreated and infection spreads, cellulitis could become life threatening.

The Henry Ford study found that 226 patients treated intravenously with vancomycin between December 2005 and October 2008 fared better and were discharged on average one day earlier than 199 patients treated intravenously with the B-lactam antibiotics.

The study was presented Oct. 23 at the 48th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America Oct. 21-24 in Vancouver.

"We believe vancomycin is the better treatment option for managing patients hospitalized with cellulitis," says Hiren Pokharna, M.D., an Infectious Diseases fellow at Henry Ford Hospital and the study's lead author.

With MRSA skin and soft tissue infections increasing, researchers sought to compare the two groups of antibiotics commonly used for treating hospitalized patients with cellulitis. The common bacterial skin infection is caused by many types of bacteria including staphylococcus and streptococcus. Symptoms include redness, swelling, tenderness and pain.

MRSA strains have proven resistant to common antibiotics like penicillin and other drugs. However, they have been shown to be susceptible to vancomycin.

Attribution/Source(s): This peer reviewed publication was selected for publishing by the editors of Disabled World (DW) due to its relevance to the disability community. Originally authored by Henry Ford Health System and published on 24 Oct 2010, this content may have been edited for style, clarity, or brevity.