Cellulitis Complications And Mrsa Cellulitis

        Usually, the treatment prescribed by the doctor will be effective. There are also cases when cellulitis complications can occur and affect seriously your health. If the infection gets in the blood, patient's life can be put in danger. Taking into account that the main cause is a bacterium, cellulitis complications are more often with babies, people with a weak immune system or elderly. Further diseases related with cellulitis are: gangrene (destruction of parts of tissue), abscesses or thrombophlebitis (superficial veins get inflamed). Gangrene may result in permanently losing the affected limb. If the disease is recurrent, the skin is permanently exposed to changes, causing all sorts of problems.

       Severe cases may end up in bone infections, also known as osteomyelitis, sepsis, shock or inflammation of the lymph vessels.

       The most serious cellulitis complications are meningitis and septicemia (invasion of the bloodstream by bacteria). Meningitis can occur when the bacteria get underneath the skull. The most common route is through the eye. Cellulitis around an eyelid is called preseptal cellulitis. They cause the appearance of a rash that may be painful or itchy. If bacteria reach the place where the eye is in contact with the eye cavity, then it is an orbital cellulitis. The disorder is a medical emergency that causes a fever and impaired vision. It requires immediate treatment to prevent meningitis or eye damage.

       If the infection spreads through the lymphatic system or the bloodstream, red lines may appear under the skin before the main rash, which can cause symptoms such as fever, sweating and nausea. If the red line appears to be heading straight to the heart, there is a danger sign that may indicate many cellulitis complications like sepsis, and it's important to see the doctor immediately.

MRSA Cellulitis

       Cellulitis is an infection caused by different types of bacteria, like staphylococcus and streptococcus. Staphylococcus aureus is a pathogenic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, which can cause suppurative infections and septicemia in humans and animals. Manifestations of these infections are varied: impetigo, pyoderma, staphylococcal pneumonia, SSS Syndrome (English: staphiloccocal scalded skin syndrome, also known as Lyell's syndrome). It differs from other species of the genus by being coagulase-positive.

       One of these species is the MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. MRSA is any type of Staphylococcus that is resistant to beta-lactam antibiotics, like cephalosporins and penicillins(oxacillin, methicillin, nafcillin, dicloxacillin). The infections (MRSA cellulitis) are usually taken from hospitals, after surgeries, invasive procedures or because of the existence of open wounds.

       Clinical manifestations of infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus may be due to the toxins secreted by it (- Poisoning, or the multiplication of bacteria - infections). Staphylococcal intoxication are:

• scalding skin syndrome
• food poisoning
• toxic syndrome

       The main infections are the purulent ones. Among them, the most common are:

• skin infection: boils, acne, folliculitis, hordeolum, wound superinfections
• subcutaneous tissue infections: mastitis, abscesses, cellulitis
• respiratory infections: pharyngitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, empyema
• skeletal infections: arthritis, osteomyelitis
• generalized infection meningitis, septicemia, endocarditis with secondary disseminations in different organs with abscess formation.

       As mentioned before, cellulitis can be also caused by Staphylococcus aureus, although its most common cause is the streptococcus.

       S. aureus is the most common agent of infections of the skin and soft tissue; MRSA cellulitis is usually produced by the body own flora (which colonizes the skin and mucous membranes). The symptoms of MRSA cellulitis are similar to any other type of cellulitis, including swelling, edema, redness or lymphedema. The patient can also experience chills or fever.

       For the treatment of MRSA cellulitis and other infections cause by it, newer antibiotics are used. Linezolid, that belongs to the oxazolidinones class, daptomycin and tigecycline treat successfully those diseases.