Cellulitis is a skin infection that is treated with antibiotics and usually starts to improve in 2 days. School sores, a highly contagious skin infection, are a type of cellulitis.

It's more common in children with:

• grazes, wounds, insect bites or burns
• skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis or acne
• chicken pox, school sores or ringworm.

Signs and symptoms

The main signs and symptoms of cellulitis include:

• red skin, swelling, pain or heat, usually on the arms or legs – often around a bite or scratch
• swelling with pus
• temperature over 38 °C
• swollen glands close to the injury or affected area.

The skin around your child's eye may also become infected. This can be more serious and needs urgent treatment.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• a swollen and red eyelid
• double vision (seeing two of the same thing)
• pain or difficulty with eye movements
• eyes appear bulging

When to get help

See your GP if your child has any cellulitis symptoms.

Take your child to the nearest emergency department if they have:

• swelling and redness of the eyelid
• double vision (seeing two of the same thing)
• pain or trouble moving their eyes
• skin redness or swelling that is spreading quickly or is painful
• signs of a skin infection, and they have a condition that affects their immune system.

If you're not sure whether to go to an emergency department, call 13 HEALTH (13 43 25 84) and speak to a registered nurse.

What causes cellulitis?

Cellulitis is usually caused by bacteria (Streptococcus or Staphylococcus) entering the skin.

How is cellulitis diagnosed?

Your child's GP will diagnose cellulitis by checking their skin. If the infection is mild, they won't need to do any tests, but swabs or a blood test may be done if needed. If your child has an eye infection, they may need an CT scan.

Treatment

Cellulitis is treated with antibiotics. Your child should start feeling better in about 2 days. They'll get liquid or tablet antibiotics to take at home if needed.

If your child has a more severe infection or an eye infection, they might need to go to the hospital to get antibiotics through a drip in their arm. After that, they will continue taking antibiotics at home.

If your child has cellulitis, take them back to your GP for a skin check 3 days after they start their antibiotics. If their skin still looks red and swollen after they finish their antibiotics, go back to your GP.

Care at home

Here are some things you can do when caring for your child at home:

• Give your child antibiotics as directed by your doctor.
• Wash your hands before and after touching the infected area.
• Encourage your child to rest with the infected area raised - put it on pillows or cushions, where possible.
• If the infected area is dirty, wash it with salty water or try to to keep it dry.
• Stop your child from touching, scratching, or injuring the area - you may need to cover it with a bandage.
• Give your child pain medicine like paracetamol and ibuprofen (Panadol and Nurofen) - follow the dosage instructions on the bottle or package.
• Cover the infected area with a bandage if your child is outside the home.
• If your child gets injured, rinse any scrapes with lots of water as soon as you can.
• If your child has school sores, they should stay home from school or day care until the medical treatment has started. If your child does not have school sores, is well and not in pain, they can go to school with the area covered.

Developed by the Emergency Department, Queensland Children's Hospital. We acknowledge the input of consumers and carers.

Resource ID: FS346. Reviewed: August 2023.

Disclaimer: This information has been produced by healthcare professionals as a guideline only and is intended to support, not replace, discussion with your child’s doctor or healthcare professionals. Information is updated regularly, so please check you are referring to the most recent version. Seek medical advice, as appropriate, for concerns regarding your child’s health.