High-dose Cephalexin for Cellulitis: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

Detailed Summary

Cellulitis is a painful bacterial infection of the skin and underlying tissue that needs antibiotic treatment. There are approximately 193,000 visits to Canadian emergency departments (EDs) each year for cellulitis. Emergency doctors who treat patients with cellulitis must decide on the correct antibiotic agent, dose, duration and frequency. Cellulitis is most commonly treated with the oral antibiotic cephalexin. However, there has been little research to guide doctors with respect to cellulitis treatment, which has led to an overuse of intravenous antibiotics. In addition, the current treatment failure rate of 20% is unacceptably high. When compared to standard-dose oral cephalexin, high-dose oral cephalexin may reduce treatment failure, which would help decrease the need for intravenous antibiotics and subsequent hospitalization. A well-designed clinical trial is necessary to determine if high-dose oral cephalexin reduces treatment failure for cellulitis patients. This pilot trial will determine the feasibility and design of such a clinical trial.

Study Details

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