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Cellulitis
By rb
I've had only one attack so far. It started from a tiny crack
in my thumb and within hours my wrist was badly swollen, hot and
painful. Within 8 hours of onset, the infection had spread almost to
the inside of my elbow. I called NHS 24 and went down to the local
hospital for an emergency appointment. The doctor knew straight away
what it was and gave me a prescription for two lots of antibiotics. I
was off work for a couple of days as I felt dreadful. Once the ABs
kicked in, I felt a lot better.
Following the infection, the lymphoedema was significantly worse than
before. I had to keep my arm elevated as much as possible and once the
inflammation had gone, i wore my sleeve almost continuously. It is much
less swollen now, but the affected area is quite squidgy and it's
"pitted" i.e., if I press on it, it stays indented for several minutes.
It doesn't bother me as long as I wear my sleeve and avoid hot water.
The British Lymphology Society has produced a consensus
document on the
management of cellulitis in lymphoedema lymphoedema
http://www.lymphoedema.org/lsn/consensus_on_cellulitis_dec_06.pdf
I have a copy to hand - just in case it happens again and I end up with
a less knowledgeable (!) doctor. The document sets out the best
antibiotic regime and recommends that people at risk of cellulitis
should have an emergency supply.