What causes cellulitis and what is the treatment?
Cellulitis is a condition where there is significant and widespread inflammation of any part of the body, usually due to infection by bacteria. The term is more commonly used, however, to refer to inflammation (again, usually due to infection) involving the soft tissues (skin, as well as fat beneath the skin) and not the internal organs of the body. There may be areas of purulent material (‘pus’) within the areas of swelling or redness. The involved area of skin and subcutaneous (meaning below the skin) tissues is painful, red, warm, and if left untreated, can steadily spread to other areas. Causes of cellulitis are quite diverse. Essentially, any break in the skin’s defense can become infected. This includes burns, swelling and stretching of the skin, lacerations, bruises, abrasions, animal bites, scratches, or even insect bites (although insect bites get infected less commonly). The specific appearance, behavior, and treatment of a given cellulitis varies with the infecting organism,
