A 2017 meta-analysis found a benefit of preventative antibiotics for recurrent cellulitis in the lower limbs, but the preventative effects appear to diminish after stopping antibiotic therapy. Treatment
Antibiotics are usually prescribed, with the agent selected based on suspected organism and presence or absence of purulence, although the best treatment choice is unclear. If an abscess is also present, surgical drainage is usually indicated, with antibiotics often prescribed for co-existent cellulitis, especially if extensive. Pain relief is also often prescribed, but excessive pain should always be investigated, as it is a symptom of necrotizing fasciitis. Elevation of the affected area is often recommended.Steroids may speed recovery in those on antibiotics. Antibiotics
Antibiotics choices depend on regional availability, but a penicillinase-resistant semisynthetic penicillin or a first-generation cephalosporin is currently recommended for cellulitis without abscess. A course of antibiotics is not effective in between 6 and 37% of cases. Epidemiology
Cellulitis in 2015 resulted in about 16,900 deaths worldwide, up from 12,600 in 2005.Cellulitis is a common global health burden, with more than 650,000 admissions per year in the United States alone. In the United States, an estimated 14.5 million cases annually of cellulitis account for $3.7 billion in ambulatory care costs alone. The majority of cases of cellulitis are nonculturable and therefore the causative bacteria are unknown. In the 15% of cellulitis cases in which organisms are identified, most are due to β-hemolytic Streptococcus and Staphylococcus aureus.
Treatment
Treatments for CPVT aim to prevent lethal abnormal heart rhythms from occurring, and to rapidly restore a normal rhythm if they do occur. As the arrhythmias in CPVT generally occur at times when the heart is exposed to high levels of adrenaline or other similar chemical messengers (catecholamines), many treatments for CPVT aim to lower the levels of catecholamines the heart is exposed to or block their effects on the heart.The first-line treatment for those with CPVT involves lifestyle advice. This includes avoiding competitive sports, very strenuous exercise and highly stressful environments, as high levels of adrenaline can occur in these settings, which can provoke arrhythmias. Medication
Several medications can be useful for those with CPVT. The mainstays of treatment are beta blockers, which block the effects of adrenaline and other catecholamines on the heart, reducing the chance of abnormal heart rhythms developing. Of all the beta blockers, nadolol has been proven to be the most effective for treating CPVT. This drug lowers the heart rate to a greater extent than other beta blockers and only needs to be taken once daily, reducing the risk of missed doses. Nadolol may be difficult to obtain and is not available in all countries, and an alternative beta blocker suitable for use in CPVT may be propranolol, which however has a more complex dosing regimen.