People with lymphoedema are prone to recurrent episodes of cellulitis, and urgent antibiotic treatment is essential to control the spread of the infection.
Antibiotics
Recommended antibiotics are:
- dicloxacillin or flucloxacillin
500mg orally, every 6 hours, for 7–10 days, or - clindamycin (for patients allergic to penicillin):
450mg orally, every 8 hours.
Advice
Patients should be advised to:
- rest in bed and elevate the affected body part
- continue using their compression garment, if comfortable and tolerable
- cease lymphatic drainage until the cellulitis has resolved.
Recurrence of cellulitis
In cases of frequent recurrence of cellulitis, consider continuous prophylaxis – the recommended plan is:
- phenoxymethylpenicillin
250mg orally, twice daily, for 6 months initially.