Assessing and managing cellulitis

This is a summary of the peer-reviewed article: Diagnosing, assessing and managing cellulitis by Heather Newton.  The article provides an overview of cellulitis and its nursing management. Cellulitis is an acute bacterial infection of the deep dermis and surrounding subcutaneous tissue. Although it is a common condition, it is often misdiagnosed because it can mimic a range of conditions that also cause inflamed, red, irritated and painful skin. Such misdiagnoses may lead to unnecessary hospital admissions and antibiotic overuse, with most alternative diagnoses being non-infectious.  Erysipelas, a more superficial form of cellulitis, and necrotising fasciitis, a severe variant involving the fascia, are treated similarly but vary in severity and urgency.