Free BCEN Certified Emergency Nurse (CEN) Practice Question

Cellulitis is a bacterial skin infection presenting with warmth, erythema (redness), and edema (swelling), often without purulent discharge or systemic symptoms in its early stages. Abscess formation usually involves a collection of pus and may present with fluctuance; therefore, the lack thereof makes it less likely in this scenario. A lymphangitic streak would suggest infection spreading to the lymphatic system accompanied by such findings as lymphadenopathy and systemic signs of infection, which are not described here. Erythema migrans is a rash commonly associated with Lyme disease and presents differently, typically starting at the site of a tick bite and expanding over days or weeks with a characteristic 'bull's-eye' appearance.