Last reviewed
2026-02-07
Workflow pack
Cellulitis severity and follow-up workflow
Primary care cellulitis workflow for severity grading, early failure detection, and escalation thresholds.
Trust and governance
Use only within this workflow's defined scope and exclusions.
Clinical owner
Family Medicine Editorial Team
Risk tier
Medium
Review cadence
Every 6 months
Next due 2026-08-07
Review status
Current
Scope limits
Initial outpatient skin/soft tissue infection management with planned reassessment.
Exclusions (escalate/redirect)
- Suspected necrotizing infection or sepsis requiring immediate emergency pathway.
- Inpatient IV antimicrobial management protocols.
References
Escalate-now emphasis (medium-risk workflow)
Treat red-flag findings as urgent. Escalate the care pathway early if concern persists or follow-up reliability is uncertain.
At a glance
Rapid decision framing for in-visit use. Educational only; always apply clinical judgment.
Immediate actions
- Confirm likely cellulitis pattern and evaluate systemic symptom burden.
- Identify comorbidity factors that raise treatment-failure risk.
- Define baseline severity and disposition before starting management.
Red flags / escalate now
- Severe pain out of proportion, rapid spread, or necrotizing infection concern.
- Hypotension, confusion, or systemic instability suggestive of sepsis.
- Progressive deterioration despite initial treatment.
First-line plan
- Start evidence-aligned outpatient treatment when severity permits.
- Mark clinical boundaries for progression tracking and early failure detection.
- Document escalation thresholds at visit close.
Follow-up and monitoring
- Reassess in 24-48 hours for objective trajectory check.
- Escalate immediately for spread, persistent fever, or systemic decline.
- Reinforce return precautions and follow-up reliability plan.
Condition guidance
Referral checklists
Tools and calculators
Return precautions (patient script)
Suggested plain-language wording for safety-net counseling:
If symptoms get worse, new warning signs appear, or you cannot follow the plan from this visit, seek urgent care now.
- Use with the specific red flags listed on this page.
- Confirm follow-up timing and where to go after-hours.
- Document that return precautions were reviewed and understood.
Visit-close checklist
- Document disposition, rationale, and unresolved diagnostic uncertainty.
- Give explicit return precautions and follow-up timeline before ending visit.
- Attach a relevant handout when available to reinforce adherence and safety-netting.