CellulitisNCT01706913
Study Assessing Impact of Dermatology Consultation for Patients Admitted With Cellulitis
A study testing Dermatology consult in people with Cellulitis, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This is a randomized, controlled study to compare patients evaluated and managed by internal medicine hospitalists alone versus patients who are additionally evaluated by a dermatologist when they are admitted to the hospital, aiming to demonstrate that hospital admissions for cellulitis that involve early dermatology… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Cellulitis
- What is being tested?
- Dermatology consult
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 246 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Oct 2012to 31 Dec 2018
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Able to understand and sign informed consent
- Able to complete study and comply with study procedures
- Presumed clinical diagnosis of cellulitis by medicine team
Who cannot join
- Have a known postoperative site infection or abscess
- Have a human/animal bite
- Have known osteomyelitis
- Have a hardware/line infection
- Are under the age of 18
- Have a history of transplantation less than six months after initial transplant and/or if they have had an episode of acute rejection in the last 90 days
Show all 11Show fewer
- Known use of antithymocyte globulin or campath in the last 6 months or more than 20 mg/day of prednisone for more than 30 days -
- Are a known prisoner.
- Are decisionally-impaired.
- Have abnormal vital signs defined as systolic blood pressure <90 mmHg, diastolic blood pressure <80 mmHg, heart rate greater than 90 beats per minute or less than 50 beats per minute, respiratory rate greater than 20, or temperature > 100.5 F.
- Are known to be pregnant.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, 02114
About this study
Official title: A Randomized Controlled Study to Assess the Impact of Dermatology Consultations on the Hospital Course of Patients Admitted for Cellulitis
This is a randomized, controlled study to compare patients evaluated and managed by internal medicine hospitalists alone versus patients who are additionally evaluated by a dermatologist when they are admitted to the hospital, aiming to demonstrate that hospital admissions for cellulitis that involve early dermatology consultation will reduce hospital length of stay, readmission rates, prevalence of pseudocellulitis, cost, and antibiotic usage. The hypothesis of this study is that obtaining inpatient dermatology consultations, within 24 hours of a patient being admitted to the hospital for cellulitis, will reduce the length of stay, readmission rate, cost, and antibiotic usage of the patient"s admission as well as properly evaluate and diagnose patients with pseudocellulitis. The primary objective will be to measure the difference in the length of stay for patients who are randomized to a dermatology consultation within 24 hours of hospital admission (active arm) versus being managed by an internal medicine hospitalist alone, as is the standard of care (control arm). The length of stay for each arm will be assessed once the study has been completed. The secondary endpoint will be to measure readmission rates for cellulitis after patients are discharged from the hospital. An additional endpoint will be to determine if antibiotic usage differs between patients randomized to a dermatology consultation and those not. Exploratory analyses will assess the percentage of patients with a concomitant known predisposing factor for recurrent cellulitis such as lymphedema, leg ulceration, tinea pedis, or onychomycosis, as well as the association of fever >100.5 F and a history of a prior episode of cellulitis.
- Conditions
- Cellulitis
- Being tested
- Dermatology consult
- Medical subject headings
- Cellulitis
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Dermatology consultOther
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| No consult | No intervention | Those who are in the control group will follow internal medicine hospitalist recommendations alone which will include when and what type of post-discharge follow-up appointments the patient will have. We would like to emphasize that as part of the standard of care, patients in the control arm may still receive a dermatology consult if it is deemed necessary and/or requested. We will not prevent patients or the patient's team of caregivers from requesting a dermatology consultation during the course of hospitalization. A follow-up phone call will be performed two weeks after discharge for patients in the control group in order to confirm the patient's outcome. There will also be a medical record review one month after the patient's initial discharge from the hospital to assess for readmission |
| Dermatology Consult | Active comparator | The patients randomized to the treatment group will obtain a dermatology evaluation within 24 hours of being admitted to MGH for their cellulitis. The skin and lymph node exam performed by the dermatologist on patients in the treatment group will be documented in the LMR for the subjects' medical records. Patients who are readmitted for cellulitis within one month of being discharged from the hospital will be considered treatment failures. Patients in the treatment group will have a follow-up visit in dermatology clinic within two weeks after being discharged. There will also be a medical record review performed one month after the patient's initial discharge from the hospital to assess for readmission. Receives: Other: Dermatology consult |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Antibiotic usage
We will be measuring the difference between antibiotic usage in patients in the control group as compared with the treatment group
Measured: 2 weeks after discharge from hospital stay
Secondary outcomes (1)
Length of hospital stay
We will be comparing the length of admission between the control group and the treatment group to assess whether a dermatology consult has any impact on the length of a patient's hospital stay.
Measured: Will be measured at day of patient discharge
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted15 Oct 2012 (estimated)
- Study startOct 2012
- Primary completionDec 2018
- Study completion31 Dec 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for CellulitisStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Massachusetts General HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 246 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dermatology Foundation
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Daniela Kroshinsky, Massachusetts General Hospital
- Investigators
- Daniela Kroshinsky, MD, Principal investigator, Massachusetts General Hospital
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01706913
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- DermFound-2008A058574
- Status last verified
- Jan 2026
- First submitted
- 25 Sep 2012
- Last updated
- 16 Jan 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
Publications
Ko LN, Garza-Mayers AC, St John J, Strazzula L, Vedak P, Shah R, Dobry AS, Rao SR, Milne LW, Parry BA, Kroshinsky D. Effect of Dermatology Consultation on Outcomes for Patients With Presumed Cellulitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2018 May 1;154(5):529-536. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.6196.
PubMed 29453872
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 16 Jan 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Randomized Controlled Study to Assess the Impact of Dermatology Consultations on the Hospital Course of Patients Admitted for Cellulitis
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01706913
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DermFound-2008A058574
- Conditions
- Cellulitis
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 246 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Massachusetts General HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Dermatology Foundation
- Study start
- Oct 2012
- Primary completion
- Dec 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 15 Oct 2012 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This is a randomized, controlled study to compare patients evaluated and managed by internal medicine hospitalists alone versus patients who are additionally evaluated by a dermatologist when they are admitted to the hospital, aiming to demonstrate that hospital admissions for cellulitis that involve early dermatology consultation will reduce hospital length of stay, readmission rates, prevalence of pseudocellulitis, cost, and antibiotic usage. The hypothesis of this study is that obtaining inpatient dermatology consultations, within 24 hours of a patient being admitted to the hospital for cellulitis, will reduce the length of stay, readmission rate, cost, and antibiotic usage of the patient"s admission as well as properly evaluate and diagnose patients with pseudocellulitis. The primary objective will be to measure the difference in the length of stay for patients who are randomized to a dermatology consultation within 24 hours of hospital admission (active arm) versus being managed by an internal medicine hospitalist alone, as is the standard of care (control arm). The length of stay for each arm will be assessed once the study has been completed. The secondary endpoint will be to measure readmission rates for cellulitis after patients are discharged from the hospital. An additional endpoint will be to determine if antibiotic usage differs between patients randomized to a dermatology consultation and those not. Exploratory analyses will assess the percentage of patients with a concomitant known predisposing factor for recurrent cellulitis such as lymphedema, leg ulceration, tinea pedis, or onychomycosis, as well as the association of fever >100.5 F and a history of a prior episode of cellulitis.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Other
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| No consult | No intervention | –Those who are in the control group will follow internal medicine hospitalist recommendations alone which will include when and what type of post-discharge follow-up appointments the patient will have. We would like to emphasize that as part of the standard of care, patients in the control arm may still receive a dermatology consult if it is deemed necessary and/or requested. We will not prevent patients or the patient's team of caregivers from requesting a dermatology consultation during the course of hospitalization. A follow-up phone call will be performed two weeks after discharge for patients in the control group in order to confirm the patient's outcome. There will also be a medical record review one month after the patient's initial discharge from the hospital to assess for readmission |
| Dermatology Consult | Active comparator | Other: Dermatology consultThe patients randomized to the treatment group will obtain a dermatology evaluation within 24 hours of being admitted to MGH for their cellulitis. The skin and lymph node exam performed by the dermatologist on patients in the treatment group will be documented in the LMR for the subjects' medical records. Patients who are readmitted for cellulitis within one month of being discharged from the hospital will be considered treatment failures. Patients in the treatment group will have a follow-up visit in dermatology clinic within two weeks after being discharged. There will also be a medical record review performed one month after the patient's initial discharge from the hospital to assess for readmission. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Able to understand and sign informed consent
- Able to complete study and comply with study procedures
- Presumed clinical diagnosis of cellulitis by medicine team
Key exclusion criteria (11 listed)
- Have a known postoperative site infection or abscess
- Have a human/animal bite
- Have known osteomyelitis
- Have a hardware/line infection
- Are under the age of 18
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Dermatology consult | Other | Dermatology Consult |
Primary outcome
Antibiotic usage
Time frame: 2 weeks after discharge from hospital stay
We will be measuring the difference between antibiotic usage in patients in the control group as compared with the treatment group
1 secondary outcome
Length of hospital stay
Time frame: Will be measured at day of patient discharge
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 16 Jan 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 29453872Ko LN, Garza-Mayers AC, St John J, Strazzula L, Vedak P, Shah R, Dobry AS, Rao SR, Milne LW, Parry BA, Kroshinsky D. Effect of Dermatology Consultation on Outcomes for Patients With Presumed Cellulitis: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Dermatol. 2018 May 1;154(5):529-536. doi: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2017.6196.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Daniela Kroshinsky, MD principal investigator
Massachusetts General Hospital
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Dermatology consult in people with Cellulitis, run by Massachusetts General Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 11 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 16 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Antibiotic usage (time frame: 2 weeks after discharge from hospital stay). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT01706913, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 16 Jan 2026.