How common are cellulitis and erysipelas?
Cellulitis and erysipelas are common, but we don't know exactly how many people get them.
- Every year about 70,000 people in the UK go to the hospital with cellulitis.1 Lots more people may have had it and been treated at home.
- In one emergency room in the United Kingdom, 3 in 100 people who came in for treatment had cellulitis.2
- In a hospital in New Zealand, nearly 2 in 100 people needed treatment for cellulitis.3
Sources for the information on this page:
- Hospital Episode Statistics. Main operations. March 2007. Available at http://www.hesonline.nhs.uk (accessed on 8 January 2008).
- Clinical Resource Efficiency Support Team (CREST). Guidelines on the management of cellulitis in adults. June 2005. Available at http://www.crestni.org.uk/publications-show?txtid=4038 (accessed on 8 January 2008).
- Corwin P, Toop L, McGeoch G, et al. Randomised controlled trial of intravenous antibiotic treatment for cellulitis at home compared with hospital. BMJ. 2005; 330: 129.
This information was last updated in Jan 21, 2008
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This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment. ©BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2008. All rights reserved. |
