Oral Moxifloxacin Versus Cefazolin and Oral Probenecid in the Management of Skin and Soft Tissue Infections in the Emergency Department

Patients often come to the emergency department with bacterial skin infections (known as "cellulitis"). Some patients with very severe infections are admitted to hospital for antibiotic treatment and some are sent home on oral antibiotics. Many patients have moderate infections and are treated as outpatients with daily intravenous antibiotics for 2-5 days. In this patient group it is unclear if treatment with oral antibiotics is as effective as intravenous antibiotics. The purpose of this study is to determine if treatment of moderate cellulitis with an intravenous antibiotic (cefazolin) for 3-5 days is as effective as treatment with an oral antibiotic (moxifloxacin). We hypothesize that the oral agent will be as effective as intravenous treatment for moderate cellulitis.