Study on the Prescription Pattern and Antibiogram in the Management of Cellulitis

Abstract

Cellulitis is a very serious bacterial infection, although seen commonly in most individuals. Recurrent episodes of cellulitis has been becoming a burden to patients as well as physicians making it difficult to treat. Managing the patients with low dose long-term antibiotic therapy based on the antimicrobial culture sensitivity reports helps to reduce the recurrent episodes of cellulitis. This study has been conducted to observe and study the antibiotic patterns prescribed to patients with cellulitis and development of resistance in recurrent episodes, thereby determining the bacterial pathogens isolated and studying it’s sensitivity pattern for each recurrent episode. This is a prospective observational study carried out in the Department of General Surgery over a period of 6 months. A total of 99 recurrent cellulitis patients were included in the study, in which 69(69.6%) were males and 30(30.3%) were females. Age groups between 51-60 were utmost percentage of 31.3%(31). 38(38.4%) Lower limb cellulitis was at great number in disease patterns among recurrent cellulitis patients. Preponderance of patients (53 patients) were prescribed with Dual antibiotic therapy (Magnex and Metrogyl). Frequency of Staphylococcus aureus species stays first in AST reports. Antibiogram of E.Coli showed decreased sensitivity in 2nd AST towards almost all antibiotics when compared with other pathogens for which the test was performed. This study concludes that rationale of antibiotic use and close monitoring is essential in the treatment of cellulitis with the help of standard treatment guidelines of SSTI's (Treatment based on AST reports) to prevent the further recurrent episodes and associated complications of cellulitis.