Adult patients presenting with presumed lower-limb cellulitis
Differentiating true cellulitis from pseudocellulitis (e.g., stasis dermatitis, lipodermatosclerosis)
Avoiding inappropriate antibiotic prescribing in the Emergency Department
CLINICAL INSIGHT
How it Works
Scoring Components
Asymmetry (Unilateral) (3 pts)
Leukocytosis (WBC ≥ 10k) (1 pt)
Tachycardia (HR ≥ 90) (1 pt)
Age ≥ 70 years (2 pts)
Interpretation
Score ≤ 2
Score 3–4
Score ≥ 5
CLINICAL INSIGHT
Evidence Base
Validation
Development and validation of a clinical prediction rule for lower extremity cellulitis.
Raff AB, et al.JAMA Dermatol.2017
ALT 70
ALT-70 Score: Discriminates between cellulitis and pseudocellulitis. Reduces unnecessary antibiotic use and hospital admissions for lower limb redness.
Clinical criteria
Diagnostic Probability
Low Probability (0)
Approx. 80% chance of pseudocellulitis. Consider alternative diagnoses (e.g., stasis dermatitis).