title: The risk of cellulitis in cirrhotic patients: a nationwide population-based study in taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cellulitis is a common infectious disease. However, the risk of cellulitis in cirrhotic patients is not well established, and whether liver cirrhosis is a risk factor for cellulitis remains unknown. This study evaluated the relationship between cellulitis and liver cirrhosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The National Health Insurance Database, which was derived from the Taiwan National Health Insurance program, was used to identify patients. The study group consisted of 39,966 patients with liver cirrhosis, and the comparison group consisted of 39,701 randomly selected age- and sex-matched patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the 3-year follow-up period, 2,674 (6.7%) patients with liver cirrhosis developed cellulitis, and 1,587 (4.0%) patients without liver cirrhosis developed cellulitis (p<0.001). Following a Cox's regression analysis adjusted for age, sex, and underlying medical disorders, the cirrhotic patients demonstrated a greater risk for the occurrence of cellulitis than the non-cirrhotic patients during the 3-year period (hazard ratio [HR], 1.66; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55 to 1.77; p<0.001). Additionally, cirrhotic patients with complications also had a greater risk for the occurrence of cellulitis than those patients without complications (HR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.33; p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that cirrhotic patients have a greater risk of cellulitis than non-cirrhotic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi, Taiwan. ; Tzu Chi University School of Medicine, Chiayi, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Nan
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Chen-Chi
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Tsung-Hsing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Hung
authors.forename: Chih-Chun
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Tsai