Bacterial Skin Infections

Bacterial infections of the skin, also known as soft-tissue infections, are common. The severity of each type of infection ranges from mild, requiring only topical antibiotic treatment, to severe, requiring administration of parenteral antibiotics. This chapter will review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical presentation, histology, and differential diagnosis as well as the available treatment options for the following bacterial infections: impetigo, ecthyma, erysipelas, folliculitis, furunculosis, carbunculosis, and last but certainly not least, cellulitis.