title: Blood culture results do not affect treatment in complicated cellulitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cellulitis, a frequently encountered complaint in the Emergency Department, is typically managed with antibiotics. There is some debate as to whether obtaining blood cultures and knowing their results would change the management of cellulitis, although most authors argue that information from blood cultures does not change the empirical management of uncomplicated cellulitis. However, for complicated cellulitis (as defined by the presence of significant comorbidity), there is considerable disagreement and lack of evidence as to the utility of blood cultures.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to determine the role of blood cultures in the management of complicated cellulitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective chart review assessed the utility of obtaining blood cultures in complicated cellulitis (as defined by active chemotherapy, dialysis, human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome, diabetes, or organ transplantation) vs. a cohort of individuals without medical comorbidity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred and thirty-nine patients were identified, 314 of which were deemed cases and 325 controls. Within the cases, 29 of 314 returned as positive blood cultures vs. 17 of 325 positive blood culture controls within the cases (p = 0.05; odds ratio = 1.84; 95% confidence interval 0.99-3.43). A clinically significant change in management (a change in the class of antibiotic) was found in 6 of 314 cases vs. 4 of 325 controls (p = 0.578; odds ratio = 1.5525; 95% confidence interval 0.434-5.5541).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Within this cohort of patients with complicated cellulitis, blood cultures rarely changed management from empirical coverage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, SUNY Upstate, Syracuse, New York 13210, USA.
authors.forename: William F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: Paolo
authors.forename: Andrew R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Poreda
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scordino
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wojcik
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016470:Bacteremia / Q000382:microbiology; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques; D002481:Cellulitis / Q000097:blood / Q000382:microbiology*; D019468:Disease Management; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: blood cultures; cellulitis; diabetes; human immunodeficiency virus; immunocompromise