AttendMe Owl Logo
AttendMe
Sign In
All Pathways
Infectious DiseaseManagement

Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014)

Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014): Suspected SSTI → Clinical Assessment → Purulent or Non-purulent? → Purulent: Abscess/Fur...

Pathway Overview

14 steps

Algorithm Steps

14 total

  1. 01Start

    Suspected SSTI

    Erythema, warmth, swelling, pain

  2. 02Action

    Clinical Assessment

    Determine severity and type

    • Purulent (abscess/furuncle) vs Non-purulent (cellulitis)
    • Mark borders, check for fluctuance
    • Assess systemic signs
  3. 03Decision

    Purulent or Non-purulent?

  4. 04Action

    Purulent: Abscess/Furuncle

    I&D is primary treatment

    • Incision & Drainage essential
    • Culture wound if severe/recurrent
    • Antibiotics: TMP-SMX DS BID or Doxy 100mg BID x5-10d
    • Add beta-lactam if cellulitis extensive
  5. 05Decision

    MRSA Risk Factors?

    Prior MRSA, IVDU, healthcare exposure

  6. 06Action

    Add MRSA Coverage

    If risk factors present

    • TMP-SMX DS 1-2 tabs BID
    • OR Doxycycline 100mg BID
    • OR Clindamycin 300-450mg TID
    • For severe: Vancomycin IV
  7. 07Decision

    Severity Assessment

  8. 08Action

    Outpatient (Mild)

    Oral antibiotics x5 days

  9. 09Action

    Reassess 48-72h

    Should see improvement

    • If worsening: Broaden coverage, imaging, r/o abscess
  10. 10Outcome

    Resolved

  11. 11Warning

    Treatment Failure

    Broaden, drain, consider alternative dx

  12. 12Action

    Inpatient (Moderate-Severe)

    IV antibiotics

    • Cefazolin 1-2g IV q8h OR
    • Vancomycin 15-20mg/kg IV q12h (MRSA)
  13. Path rejoins step 09Shared downstream outcome
  14. 13Warning

    Concern for Necrotizing?

    Pain out of proportion, crepitus, rapid spread

    • See NSTI algorithm
    • Emergent surgery consultation
  15. Path rejoins step 07Shared downstream outcome
  16. 14Action

    Non-purulent Cellulitis

    Strep likely; beta-lactam coverage

    • Mild: Cephalexin 500mg QID or Dicloxacillin 500mg QID x5d
    • Moderate: Ceftriaxone 1g IV daily
    • Mark borders, elevate extremity
    • Consider DVT if unilateral leg swelling
  17. Path rejoins step 05Shared downstream outcome

Guideline Source

IDSA SSTI Guidelines 2014

DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu444View Guideline

Clinical Safety Information

Clinical Decision Support — Not a Substitute for Clinical Judgment

Individual patient factors may require deviation from these recommendations.

Known Limitations

  • ⚠️ UNVALIDATED DRAFT: This algorithm was AI-generated from guideline summaries and has NOT been reviewed by clinical experts. All doses, thresholds, and pathways MUST be verified against primary sources by qualified clinicians before clinical use. Do not use for patient care without expert validation.
  • MRSA prevalence varies by region
  • Purulent vs non-purulent distinction is key
  • DVT should be ruled out

Applicable Regions

USEU
Version 1Next review: 2027-01-11

Related Infectious Disease Pathways

Bacterial Meningitis Management (IDSA 2004)

Emergency

Candidemia & Invasive Candidiasis Management (IDSA 2016)

Management

Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection Management

Management

Clostridioides difficile Infection Management (IDSA/SHEA 2021)

Management

Next steps

Finish the workflow by opening the most relevant calculator, then convert the session into a live account when you are ready.

Calculator

CURB-65 Score

Pneumonia severity and disposition

Open page

Compare

AttendMe.ai vs OpenEvidence

See how this pathway workflow compares against OpenEvidence.

Open page

Commercial

Start free

Run the pathway in a live AttendMe account with citations and tracked usage.

Start free

Related Resources

All Clinical PathwaysClinical CalculatorsAI Chat with Auto-Detection

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014)?

The Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014) is a management clinical algorithm for Infectious Disease. It provides a structured decision tree to guide clinical decision-making, based on IDSA SSTI Guidelines 2014.

What guideline is the Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014) based on?

This algorithm is based on IDSA SSTI Guidelines 2014 (DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciu444).

What are the limitations of the Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014)?

Known limitations include: ⚠️ UNVALIDATED DRAFT: This algorithm was AI-generated from guideline summaries and has NOT been reviewed by clinical experts. All doses, thresholds, and pathways MUST be verified against primary sources by qualified clinicians before clinical use. Do not use for patient care without expert validation.; MRSA prevalence varies by region; Purulent vs non-purulent distinction is key; DVT should be ruled out. Individual patient factors may require deviation from these recommendations.

Get AI-Powered Analysis Alongside This Algorithm

In AttendMe.ai, the Cellulitis & Skin/Soft Tissue Infection Management (IDSA 2014) appears automatically when your clinical question matches — alongside evidence from 3M+ peer-reviewed articles.

Try AttendMe Free