Sex differences in hospitalized adult patients with cellulitis: A prospective, multicenter study

Abstract

Sex differences in adult cellulitis, a frequent cause of hospitalization, have not been analyzed. These differences were investigated in a large cellulitis series. Methods: This was a prospective observational study of 606 Spanish hospitalized cellulitis patients. Different comorbidities, clinical, diagnostic, and treatment data were compared between the sexes. Multiple logistic regression modeling was performed to determine the variables independently associated with sex. Results: Overall 606 adult cellulitis patients were enrolled; 314 (51.8%) were male and 292 (48.2%) were female. Females were older (mean age 68.8 vs 58.9 years, p < 0.0001), less likely to have prior wounds (p = 0.02), and more likely to have venous insufficiency (p = 0.0002) and edema/lymphedema (p = 0.0003) than males. The location of the infection differed between the sexes (p = 0.02). Males were more likely to have positive pus cultures (p = 0.0008), the causing agent identified (p = 0.04), and higher rates of Staphylococcus aureus infection (p = 0.04) and received longer antibiotic treatment (p = 0.03). Factors independently associated with female sex in the multivariate analysis were older age (p < 0.0001), prior cellulitis (p = 0.01), presence of edema/lymphedema as the predisposing factor (p = 0.004), negative versus positive pus culture (p = 0.0002), and location of cellulitis other than in the lower extremities (p = 0.035). Conclusions: Differences between male and female patients with cellulitis were age, recurrence, presence of edema/lymphedema, positivity of pus culture, and topography of the infection.

Clinical Profile of Cellulitis and Erysipelas in the Tertiary Referral Hospital of West Java, Indonesia

“…In general, no gender prevalence of erysipelas was found. This result favours other previous studies by Blackberg et al 8 and Kozlowska et al 9 An explanation regarding the relationship between the incidence of cellulitis and erysipelas 10 and gender was also not known. 8,9 Cellulitis and erysipelas in this study mostly affected older adults above 45 years of age.…”

Sex‐based differences in Japanese patients with cellulitis

“…The obesity and overweight rates are especially high among young men 4 . Since obesity and overweight are associated with the risk of diabetes, it is possible that this difference in obesity and overweight between men and women influenced our results, resulting in findings different from those in other countries 1,4 . In particular, women have a lower percentage of obesity (3.9%), 4 which may make young women less susceptible to cellulitis.…”

“…Collazos et al 1 . have reported sex‐based differences in cellulitis among Spanish patients based on age, recurrence, presence of edema/lymphedema, positivity of pus culture, and topography of the infection.…”

Incidence and Causes of Cellulitis Among Patients at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital in Upolu, Samoa in 2019

“…Other researchers have also ascertained that cellulitis most often occurs in middle-aged and older adults [ 12 ]. The mean age for cellulitis was 63.4 years old [ 13 ]. This shows that the mean incidence age of cellulitis in Samoa is comparatively younger.…”