How serious is cellulitis?

[elliejjtiny]

I know any infection can turn into sepsis, but is cellulitis one of the big ones like pneumonia and sepsis or does it just sound scary because people who are really old or really ill can die from it but it's a mild illness for fit and healthy people.

Just wondering as my 17 year old has got it at the moment, where he had surgery in November last year. He's had it before, when he was 5 but that was in a different place. Should I be doing anything to try and prevent it happening again?

What was the surgery for?

Was it orthopaedic surgery with implanted metalwork? If it is then they absolutely shouldn't be getting antibiotics until they've been seen by an orthopaedic surgeon.

If there's an implant related infection, oral antibiotics won't clear it as the organisms form a biofilm on inorganic material, all that happens is you treat the surface manifestation and breed increasingly drug resistant organisms.

What was the surgery for?

Was it orthopaedic surgery with implanted metalwork? If it is then they absolutely shouldn't be getting antibiotics until they've been seen by an orthopaedic surgeon.

If there's an implant related infection, oral antibiotics won't clear it as the organisms form a biofilm on inorganic material, all that happens is you treat the surface manifestation and breed increasingly drug resistant organisms.

The surgery was to remove part of his ingrown toenail.

Sorry, the word surgery was maybe too dramatic a word for what he had done but he had a general anaesthetic so i decided it counted as surgery.

I had it in one foot and red marks on leg from an infected mosquito bite. I probably left it too long not realising what it was, (my elderly grandmother had it from scratching her legs, thin skin etc and poor health a few times🙄) my foot did swell up really badly and even went to work in retail for a few days but a friend a saw at work who works in a hospital pharmacy said I should get it seen to. Long story short I did an e consult had a phone call later same day submitted photos and they sent a prescription though to work pharmacy stong antibiotics. It went but I had to be careful in the following months abroad in heat as I have sensitivity to sun and now they said mosquitos too. Other posters are right re drawing a line. I had to keep it raised too. The itching on foot when getting better was awful...

Not spread but it's redder and weepy this morning.

Dh rash went bright red, hot and blistery then weepy and finally peeled like bad sunburn. Took several weeks to calm down and heal over.

That doesn't sound great. I'd check with pharmacist maybe