Duration of Antibiotic Therapy for Cellulitis (DANCE): a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing 6 to 12 Days of Antibiotic Therapy for Patients Hospitalized With Cellulitis
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: Cellulitis, Erysipelas
Sponsor: Academisch Medisch Centrum - Universiteit van Amsterdam (AMC-UvA)

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Confidential protocol DANCE study, version 9.4, 27-07-2017 ©Cranendonk, Wiersinga and Prins, AMC 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The DANCE study:  
Duration of ANtibiotic therapy for CEllulitis 
(2013) 
 
 
PROTOCOL 
 
 
VERSION 9.4 
27-07-2017 
     
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Confidential protocol DANCE study, version 9.4, 27-07-2017 ©Cranendonk, Wiersinga and Prins, AMC 
  
PROTOCOL TITLE: The DANCE study: Duration of ANtibiotic therapy for CEllulitis 
 
Protocol ID 
NL44512.018.13 
Short title 
DANCE study 
Title used in information for 
volunteers 
Antibiotica voor cellulitis: 6 of 12 dagen? 
(Antibiotics for cellulitis: 6 or 12 days?)  
EudraCT number  
2013-002106-31 
ABR number 
NL44512.018.13 
ClinicalTrials.gov number 
Trial will be entered after approval of METC, and 
before inclusion of the first patient 
Version 
9.4 
Date 
July 27th, 2017 
Study type 
A multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-
controlled non-inferiority trial 
Target sample size 
316 patients 
Coordinating investigator/project 
leader 
 
Dr. W.J. Wiersinga, internist-infectiologist 
Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases 
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam 
Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5661109, #58335 
w.j.wiersinga@amc.uva.nl 
 
Principal investigator(s) (in 
Dutch: hoofdonderzoeker/ 
uitvoerder) 
 
AMC: 
Prof. dr. J.M. Prins, internist-infectiologist 
Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases 
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam 
Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5664380  
j.m.prins@amc.uva.nl 
 
Prof. dr. T. van der Poll, internist-infectiologist 
Center of Experimental Molecular Medicine (CEMM) 
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam 
Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5669111 
t.vanderpoll@amc.uva.nl  
 
Drs. D.R. Cranendonk, PhD student 
Center of Experimental Molecular Medicine (CEMM) 
Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam 
Meibergdreef 9, 1105 AZ, Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5665247 
d.r.cranendonk@amc.uva.nl 
 

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UMCU 
Prof. dr. I.M. Hoepelman, internist-infectiologist 
F.02 126  
Postbus 85500 
3508 GA Utrecht 
Phone +31 88 7556228 
I.M.Hoepelman@umcutrecht.nl 
 
Diakonessenhuis 
Dr. S.U.C. Sankatsing, internist-infectiologist 
Afdeling Interne geneeskunde 
Postbus 80250 
3508 TG Utrecht 
Phone +31 88 2508000 
ssankatsing@diakhuis.nl 
 
VUmc 
Dr. M.A. van Agtmael, internist-infectiologist 
De Boelelaan 1117 
1081 HV Amsterdam 
Phone +31  20 4444313 
Agtmael@vumc.nl 
 
Sint Lucas Andreas Ziekenhuis 
Dr. J. Veenstra, internist-infectiologist 
Postbus 9243 
1006 AE Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5108770 
J.Veenstra@slaz.nl 
 
Flevoziekenhuis 
Dr. J. Branger, internist-infectiologist 
Hospitaalweg 1 
1315 RA Almere 
Phone +31 36 8688717 
jbranger@flevoziekenhuis.nl 
 
Onze Lieve Vrouwe Gasthuis 
Prof. Dr. K. Brinkman, internist-infectiologist 
Oosterpark 9 
1091 AC Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 599 9111  
K.Brinkman@olvg.nl 
 
Slotervaartziekenhuis 
Dr. F.N. Lauw, internist-infectiologist 
Lauwesweg 6 
1066 EC Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5129333 
fnlauw@gmail.com 

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Tergooi ziekenhuis Hilversum en Blaricum 
Dr. P.J. de Vries, internist-infectiologist 
Van Riebeeckweg 212 
1213 XZ Hilversum 
+31 88 7531753 
pjdevries@tergooi.nl  
 
Kennemer Gasthuis 
Drs. R. Soetekouw, internist-infectiologist 
Boerhaavelaan 22 
2035 RC Haarlem 
+31 23 5453545 
soetekou@kg.nl  
 
St. Antonius Ziekenhuis 
Drs. A.H. Pijlman 
Soestwetering 1 
3543 AZ Utrecht 
+31 88 3203000 
a.pijlman@antoniusziekenhuis.nl 
 
Sponsor  
Prof. dr. J.M. Prins, chair Department of Internal 
Medicine 
Academic Medical Center 
University of Amsterdam 
Meibergdreef 9 
1105 AZ Amsterdam 
Phone +31 20 5669111 
j.m.prins@amc.nl 
Subsidising party 
ZonMw – Goed Gebruik geneesmiddelen (GGG) 
programme 
Independent expert 
Dr. J.W.R. Hovius, internist-infectioloog AMC 
Phone +31 20 5666309, #58388 
j.w.hovius@amc.uva.nl 
Laboratory site 
Center of Experimental Molecular Medicine (CEMM) 
Academic Medical Center, p/a room G2-132 
Meibergdreef 9 
1105 AZ Amsterdam 
Pharmacy 
Central pharmacy: AMC Hospital pharmacy 
Dr. E.M. Kemper, Apotheker 
Ziekenhuisapotheek AMC, p/a M01-224 
Meibergdreef 9 
1105 AZ  Amsterdam 
Phone: +31 20 5661425 
Contact for public/scientific 
queries 
Dr. W.J. Wiersinga 
Drs. D.R. Cranendonk 

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PROTOCOL SIGNATURE SHEET 
 
Name 
Signature 
Date 
Head of Department: 
Prof. Dr. J.M. Prins 
Department of Internal Medicine 
Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam 
 
 
Coordinating Investigator: 
Dr. W. J. Wiersinga 
Department of Internal Medicine 
Academic Medical Centre Amsterdam 
 
 
Principal investigator UMCU: 
prof. dr. I.M. Hoepelman 
 
 
 
Principal investigator Diakonessenhuis: 
dr. S.U.C. Sankatsing  
 
 
 
Principal investigator VUmc: 
dr. M.A. van Agtmael 
 
 
 
Principal investigator SLAZ: 
dr. J. Veenstra 
 
 
 
Principal investigator Flevoziekenhuis: 
dr. J. Branger 
 
 
 
Principal investigator OLVG: 
prof. dr. K. Brinkman 
 
 
 
Principal investigator 
Slotervaartziekenhuis: 
dr. F.N. Lauw 
 
 
Principal investigator Tergooi: 
dr. P.J. de Vries 
 
 
 
Principal investigator Kennemer 
Gasthuis: 
drs. R. Soetekouw 
 
 
Principal investigator St. Antonius 
Ziekenhuis: 
drs. A.H. Pijlman 
 
 
 
 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
1. 
INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE .............................................................................10 
2. 
OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................................11 
2.1 
Primary objective ..................................................................................................11 
2.2 
Secondary objectives ............................................................................................11 
2.3 
Tertiary objectives .................................................................................................11 
3. 
STUDY DESIGN ...........................................................................................................12 
3.1 
Design ..................................................................................................................12 
3.2 
Duration and setting ..............................................................................................12 
3.3 
Time schedule of study procedures for participants ..............................................12 
3.4 
Time schedule of the study ...................................................................................14 
4. 
STUDY POPULATION ..................................................................................................15 
4.1 
Population .............................................................................................................15 
4.2 
Inclusion criteria ....................................................................................................15 
4.3 
Exclusion criteria ...................................................................................................15 
4.4 
Sample size calculation .........................................................................................16 
5. 
TREATMENT OF SUBJECTS .......................................................................................18 
5.1 
Investigational product/treatment ..........................................................................18 
5.2 
Use of co-intervention ...........................................................................................18 
5.3 
Escape medication ................................................................................................18 
5.4 
Adherence to investigational treatment .................................................................18 
5.5 
Retention of participants .......................................................................................19 
6. 
INVESTIGATIONAL PRODUCT ....................................................................................20 
6.1 
Name and description of investigational products .................................................20 
6.2 
Summary of findings from non-clinical studies.......................................................20 
6.3 
Summary of findings from clinical studies ..............................................................20 
6.4 
Summary of known and potential risks and benefits ..............................................20 
6.5 
Description and justification of route of administration and dosage .......................20 
6.6 
Dosages, dosage modifications and method of administration ..............................20 
6.7 
Preparation and labelling of Investigational Medicinal Product ..............................21 
6.8 
Drug accountability ...............................................................................................21 
7. 
METHODS ....................................................................................................................22 
7.1 
Study endpoints ....................................................................................................22 
7.1.1 
Main study endpoint ..........................................................................................22 
7.1.2 
Secondary study endpoints ...............................................................................22 
7.1.3 
Tertiary study endpoints ....................................................................................23 
7.2 
Randomisation, blinding and treatment allocation .................................................23 
7.3 
Study procedures ..................................................................................................24 
7.3.1 
Baseline characteristics and physical examination ............................................24 
7.3.2 
Cellulitis severity score ......................................................................................24 
7.3.3 
Quality of life .....................................................................................................25 
7.3.4 
Health care associated costs.............................................................................25 
7.3.5 
Blood samples ..................................................................................................25 

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7.3.6 
Skin biopsies .....................................................................................................27 
7.4 
Withdrawal of individual subjects...........................................................................27 
7.5 
Replacement of individual subjects after withdrawal .............................................27 
7.6 
Follow-up of subjects withdrawn from treatment ....................................................27 
7.7 
Premature termination of the study .......................................................................28 
8. 
SAFETY REPORTING ..................................................................................................29 
8.1 
Section 10 WMO event .........................................................................................29 
8.2 
AEs, SAEs and SUSARs ......................................................................................29 
8.2.1 
Adverse events (AEs) .......................................................................................29 
8.2.2 
Serious adverse events (SAEs) .........................................................................29 
8.2.3 
Suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions (SUSARs) ...........................30 
8.3 
Annual safety report ..............................................................................................30 
8.4 
Follow-up of adverse events .................................................................................31 
8.5 
Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) ..................................................................31 
9. 
STATISTICAL ANALYSIS .............................................................................................32 
9.1 
General considerations .........................................................................................32 
9.2 
Baseline characteristics ........................................................................................32 
9.3 
Primary study parameter(s) ...................................................................................34 
9.4 
Secondary study parameter(s) ..............................................................................34 
9.5 
Other study parameters ........................................................................................35 
9.6 
Interim analysis .....................................................................................................35 
10. 
ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................................................36 
10.1 
Regulation statement ............................................................................................36 
10.2 
Recruitment and consent ......................................................................................36 
10.3 
Objection by minors or incapacitated subjects (if applicable) .................................36 
10.4 
Benefits and risks assessment, group relatedness ................................................36 
10.5 
Compensation for injury ........................................................................................36 
10.6 
Incentives ..............................................................................................................37 
10.7 
Risk assessment ...................................................................................................37 
11. 
ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS, MONITORING AND PUBLICATION ........................38 
11.1 
Handling and storage of data and documents .......................................................38 
11.2 
Monitoring and Quality Assurance.........................................................................39 
11.3 
Amendments .........................................................................................................39 
11.4 
Annual progress report ..........................................................................................39 
11.5 
End of study report ................................................................................................39 
11.6 
Public disclosure and publication policy ................................................................40 
12. 
REFERENCES .........................................................................................................41 

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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND RELEVANT DEFINITIONS  
 
AE 
Adverse Event 
AR 
Adverse Reaction 
CA 
Competent Authority 
CCMO 
Central Committee on Research Involving Human Subjects; in Dutch: Centrale 
Commissie Mensgebonden Onderzoek 
DSMB 
Data Safety Monitoring Board 
EudraCT European drug regulatory affairs Clinical Trials  
GCP 
Good Clinical Practice 
IB 
Investigator’s Brochure 
IMP 
Investigational Medicinal Product  
IMPD 
Investigational Medicinal Product Dossier  
METC  
Medical research ethics committee (MREC); in Dutch: medisch ethische toetsing 
commissie (METC) 
(S)AE 
(Serious) Adverse Event  
SPC 
Summary of Product Characteristics (in Dutch: officiële productinfomatie IB1-
tekst) 
Sponsor 
The sponsor is the party that commissions the organisation or performance of the 
research, for example a pharmaceutical company, academic hospital, scientific 
organisation or investigator. A party that provides funding for a study but does not 
commission it is not regarded as the sponsor, but referred to as a subsidising 
party. 
SUSAR 
Suspected Unexpected Serious Adverse Reaction 
Wbp 
Personal Data Protection Act (in Dutch: Wet Bescherming Persoonsgevens) 
WMO 
Medical Research Involving Human Subjects Act (in Dutch: Wet Medisch-
wetenschappelijk Onderzoek met Mensen 
 
 

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SUMMARY 
 
Rationale: Cellulitis is among the most common infections leading to hospitalization, yet the 
optimal duration of therapy remains ill defined. Pragmatically Dutch guidelines advise 10 to 
14 days of treatment with flucloxacillin, which is currently standard of care. Recently it has 
been shown that antibiotic treatment for pneumonia and urinary tract infections can safely 
and significantly be shortened. Importantly, in an outpatient setting, treatment of 
uncomplicated cellulitis with 5 days of antibiotics was as effective as 10 days. We 
hypothesize that there is no difference in outcomes when patients hospitalized with cellulitis 
are treated with either a short-course (6 days) or standard-course (12 days) of antibiotics. 
 
Objective: To determine whether 6 days of flucloxacillin has equal efficacy compared to 12 
days in patients hospitalized with cellulitis who after 5 days of initial therapy have 
substantially improved, defined as absence of fever (temp > 38.0°C) and improvement in 
cellulitis severity score (self-reported or investigator-assessed). 
 
Study design: Multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled non-inferiority trial. 
 
Study population: Patients hospitalized for cellulitis, > 18 years of age.  
Power calculation (non-inferiority design): a total sample size of 316 randomized patients 
gives 80% power to reject the null hypothesis of non-inferiority assuming a 15% failure rate, 
considering a difference of 10% as equivalence limit, with a 0.05 significance level. 
 
Intervention: 6 days of flucloxacillin followed by another 6 days of flucloxacillin or placebo. 
 
Main study parameters/endpoints: The primary endpoint is resolution of cellulitis at 14 
days, defined as disappearance of warmth and tenderness at the site of infection, with 
substantial improvement in eythema and edema, and without recurrence by day 28, defined 
as the need of additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis. 
Secondary study endpoints include a test of cure with a different set of criteria for cure by 
day 14 and relapse by day 28, recurrence of cellulitis by day 90, speed of recovery as 
determined by improvement in cellulitis severity score and self assessment of subjective pain 
and swelling on VAS scales (0-10), Health-related Quality of Life (Dutch SF-36 
questionnaire), and health care resource utilisation as determined by total antibiotic use and 
effect on direct and indirect health-care associated costs (economic evaluation and budget 
impact analysis). 
 
Statistical analysis: Analysis will be based on intention-to-treat basis. Groups will be 
compared for the primary endpoint with Chi-squared test and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test 
for adjustment for the baseline covariates to evaluate the non-inferiority hypothesis. 
Secondary outcome parameters will be analyzed using Chi-squared test, two group t-test or 
Mann-Whitney test when appropriate.  
 
Nature and extent of the burden and risks associated with participation: All study 
participants will have to complete a maximum of five sets of questionnaires (some by phone) 
and a maximum of five venous punctures. Potential risks include inferiority of 6 days of 
antibiotics compared to 12 days of treatment, i.e. a slower recovery of patients in the 
intervention group. Given the results of earlier trials on shortening of antibiotic therapy in 
pneumonia and urinary tract infections, we do not expect this to be the case. In our view the 

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small risk that 6 days will be inferior compared to 12 days offsets the profits which a 
shortening of antibiotic therapy for cellulitis potentially yields.  
1. INTRODUCTION AND RATIONALE 
 
Cellulitis 
Cellulitis is a common acute, spreading pyogenic inflammation of the skin (dermis) and 
subcutaneous tissue, usually complicating a wound, ulcer or dermatosis.1 Erysipelas, while 
originally a separate disease entity with a well-defined raised edge and more prominent 
systemic symptoms, is now considered a manifestation of cellulitis, due to the ability of 
cellulitis to extend to the dermal layers, making it practically impossible to make a meaningful 
distinction2. Cellulitis is considered to be severe if the patient is admitted to the hospital to 
receive intravenous antibiotics (please refer to Appendix I for the background of the definition 
of cellulitis used). Cellulitis is among the most frequent infections leading to hospitalization.3,4 
The incidence of bacterial skin infection in the Netherlands has increased considerably in 
recent years, up to 32 per 1000 patients per year (Landelijk Medische Registratie, 2012). 
This is probably due to an increase in both the elderly population and the number of patients 
with immunosuppressive conditions such as diabetes.5 In addition, clinical relapse occurs in 
12 to 20% of patients.6,7 6% of all patients with a bacterial skin infection who consult the 
general practitioner will be hospitalized. In the USA alone it is estimated that cellulitis results 
in more than 600,000 hospitalizations per year, which represents more than a 50% relative 
increase in the past decade.3 In the Netherlands the diagnosis bacterial cellulitis and 
erysipelas are made approximately 28.000 times each year, resulting in over 2500 
hospitalizations. Total health-care associated costs, mostly due to costs of hospitalisation, 
were estimated to be over 17 million euro each year during 1998-20008.  
 
Antibiotic treatment 
For cellulitis initial antibiotic treatment is given intravenously (i.e., the patient is hospitalized) 
if the lesion is spreading rapidly, if the systemic response is prominent with fever and general 
malaise, when oral antibiotic therapy has failed, or if there are coexisting conditions such as 
immunodeficiency, neutropenia, asplenia or pre-existing edema.1,3 As most cases of cellulitis 
are caused by Gram-positive bacteria (Streptococci and Staphylococcus aureus), beta-
lactam antibiotics with activity against penicillinase-producing S. aureus are the drugs of 
choice. In the Netherlands, flucloxacillin is the recommended treatment regiment for 
hospitalized patients with cellulitis  (dose: po 500 mg 4dd1 or iv 1000 mg 4dd1; 
www.swab.nl). Clindamycin is given in case of an allergy to beta-lactam antibiotics.9 
Recommended treatment duration for all antibiotics is 10 to 14 days.9 However, the duration 
of therapy required remains ill defined: the need for 10-14 days of treatment is not evidence 
based. A recent systematic review concluded that there is little evidence for duration of 
antibiotic therapy10. Of note, antibiotic resistance of S. aureus (MRSA, Methicillin Resistant S. 
aureus,) is an increasing problem in many parts of the world. In the Netherlands, MRSA 
prevalence is still well below 5%.9,11 
 
Justification of therapeutic intervention 
It has previously been postulated that after several days of therapy residual symptoms 
persist due to inflammation rather than active infection, which means that prolonged 
antibiotic therapy is not indicated. This notion is underscored by a clinical study in which 5 
days of antibiotic therapy proved to be equally effective for uncomplicated cellulitis in an 
outpatient setting compared to 10 days of therapy.12 In addition, more recent studies have 
shown that antibiotic treatment for pneumonia13,14, urinary tract infections15,16 and acute 

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pyelonephritis17 can safely and significantly be shortened. Still, optimal treatment strategies 
in terms of duration of antibiotic therapy for cellulitis warranting hospitalization are still ill 
defined. In light of the aforementioned studies, it is likely that the currently advised 10-14 
days of antibiotic therapy can be safely and significantly reduced as well. It is important that 
evidence-based strategies are developed to optimize outcome, antibiotic use, and use of 
health care resources. 
Hypothesis 
We hypothesize that there is no difference in outcomes when patients hospitalized with 
cellulitis are treated with either a short-course (6 days) or standard-course (12 days) of 
antibiotics. 
 
 
2. OBJECTIVES 
 
2.1 Primary objective  
 
- To determine whether 6 days of flucloxacillin has equal efficacy compared to 12 days in  
patients hospitalized with cellulitis who after 5 days of initial therapy have substantially 
improved, defined as absence of fever (temp > 38.0°C) and improvement in cellulitis severity 
score. 
 
2.2 Secondary objectives 
 
- To assess differences in the frequency of relapse by day 90 
- To assess differences in (A) speed of improvement of symptoms and (B) quality of life  
- To assess the effects of 6 days of antibiotics compared to 12 days on total antibiotic use 
and health care costs 
 
2.3 Tertiary objectives 
 
- To analyse inflammatory and microbiological parameters in the (epi)dermis and blood 
during cellulitis, to explore markers of disease severity, determinants of therapeutic failure, 
and tools for pathogen detection 

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3. STUDY DESIGN 
 
3.1 Design 
 
The DANCE study is a prospective, randomized, observer, physician and patient blinded, 
placebo-controlled, multicentre non-inferiority trial with two parallel groups. Patients 
hospitalized with cellulitis and responding to initial therapy, defined as absence of fever 
(temp > 38.0°C) and improvement in cellulitis severity score (self-reported or investigator-
assessed) by day 5, will be randomized with a 1:1 allocation into one of two groups, who will 
receive different treatments after the 6th day:  
- 
Regular treatment group: after the initial 6 days of flucloxacillin, another 6 days of oral 
flucloxacillin. 
- 
Intervention group: after the initial 6 days of flucloxacillin, 6 days of oral placebo.  
 
Study protocol is based on the SPIRIT 2013 guidance for clinical trial protocol 
development18. 
 
3.2 Duration and setting 
 
The estimated duration of the study is three and a half years (see also 3.4 and 4.1); for 
individual patients the study duration will be 90 days. The trial will be performed in the 
Internal Medicine and Dermatology departments of the hospitals mentioned above, and their 
respective outpatient clinics after discharge. Depending on patient preference and availability 
of clinical examination rooms at the outpatient clinics, the dedicated research 
nurse/investigators can also visit participants at their home address. Informed consent will be 
obtained by the dedicated research nurse/ investigators, after the attending physician 
inquires about willingness to participate in a clinical trial.  
 
3.3 Time schedule of study procedures for participants 
 
 
Day 0 
Day 2-3 
Day 5-6 
Day 14-
15 
Day 28-
29 
Day 
90 
Informed consent 
X 
 
 
 
 
 
In- and exclusion criteria 
X 
 
 
 
 
 
Physical examination 
X 
 
X 
X 
X 
 
Laboratory measurements (usual 
care)  
X 
 
 
 
 
 
Venous puncture  
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
 
Skin biopsy (see chapter 7) 
X 
 
 
 
 
 
Clinical cellulitis score 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
 
Self assessment score (0-10 scale)  
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
X 
SF-36 questionnaire & EQ-5D 
X 
 
 
 
X 
X 
Health care utilization questionnaire 
 
 
X 
 
X 
X 
Skin swabs (see chapter 7) 
X 
 
 
X 
 
 
Table 1. Time table of study procedures for participants 
 

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Up to day 28-29, patients will be evaluated face to face either in the clinic or at home. Self 
assessment scores and questionnaires to be performed on day 90 will be mailed to patients 
beforehand. On day 90, the investigators will review the answers and scores by telephone. 
Laboratory measurements collected through usual care will be collected when available. In 
exceptional cases, where inclusion would be hampered by people’s willingness or ability to 
have so many follow-up visits, the decision can be made by the investigators to perform the 
day 28-29 visit solely by telephone. In this case the primary endpoint, questionnaires and 
medication information would be assessable. Physical examination, cellulitis severity score 
measurement and blood collection will not be possible.  
 
The above table displays the ideal time schedule for participants. However, patients can be 
included until 72 hours after admission. When patients are included during 24-72 hours, the 
day 2-3 visit is skipped. The check for improvement on day 5-6 then also allows for self-
reported improvement as marker for clinical improvement, due to the investigator not being 
present at the time when the disease was likely at its most severe. Self-reported 
improvement is also rated using the seven aspects of the cellulitis severity score; patients will 
be asked if they think that they have improved, taking all those aspects into account. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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3.4 Time schedule of the study 
 
Months 1-4:  
 
Preparation of study and obtaining ethical approval 
Months 5-44:  
 
Enrolment of patients 
Month 44:  
 
Last patient enrolled 
Month 47: 
 
Last follow-up visit of last enrolled patient 
Months 47-48:   
Analysis of results 
Figure 1. Flow diagram for study participants 

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4. STUDY POPULATION 
 
4.1 Population  
 
We plan to randomize 316 patients. All adult patients admitted to the hospital with cellulitis 
(see definition in appendix I) will be eligible for inclusion. The cohort comprises 316 
subjects to be recruited by the Departments of Infectious Disease and Dermatology at the 
Academic Medical Center, the VU Medical Center and the University Medical Center 
Utrecht in collaboration with 8 affiliated teaching hospitals as mentioned above. These 
hospitals provide secondary and tertiary care to a large heavily populated urban region of 
the Netherlands. Participating hospitals have declared that they expect to admit at least 
20 suitable cellulitis patients yearly. Assuming that 75% of patients will partake in this 
study, this brings the estimated recruiting period to approximately 3.5 years (396 patients / 
(8 centers * 15 patients yearly) = 3.3 years  this number has been adjusted to 316 as of 
July 2015, which puts the estimated deadline at April 2017). A dedicated research nurse 
will help with patient enrolment. 
 
If during the enrolment process it is expected that the recruiting period will last longer than 
3.5 years, additional hospitals will be approached to participate in the study. The number 
of inclusions will be evaluated on at least a yearly basis. 
 
As control group for the microbiota analysis from the skin swabs (see 7.3.6), we will 
include 20 healthy volunteers who are age- and gender-matched to the population of 
whom the skin swabs are analysed. Eligible volunteers are aged 18 or older, and should 
not have had cellulitis, abscesses, dermatitis, or psoriasis in their leg in the past 3 months. 
The rest of the protocol is not applicable to these volunteers, except when specifically 
mentioned. These patients will have completed their participation in this study, as soon as 
the skin swab has been taken. 
 
4.2 Inclusion criteria 
 
In order to be eligible to participate in this study, a subject must meet all of the following 
criteria. Subjects must be: 
- 
Admitted to the hospital to receive intravenous antibiotics for cellulitis/erysipelas. 
Cellulitis is the general descriptive term suggesting infection and indicating the 
warmth, erythema and induration of skin and/or subcutaneous tissue, with or 
without pain (this also includes erysipelas, see appendix I). 
- 
18 years of age or older 
- 
Capable of giving written informed consent and able to comply with the 
requirements and restrictions listed in the informed consent form 
 
4.3 Exclusion criteria 
 
As this study focuses on the treatment of cellulitis requiring hospitalization without 
additional complicating factors, a potential subject who meets any of the following criteria 
will be excluded from participation:  

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- 
Allergy for flucloxacillin, other beta-lactam antibiotics or one of the additives, or 
flucloxacillin induced hepatitis or liver enzyme disorders. 
- 
Concurrent use of antibiotics for other indications 
- 
Alternative diagnosis accounting for the clinical presentation.  
- 
All cases involving any of the following complicating factors:  
o Use of antibiotics with Gram-positive activity for more than 4 days in the 
past 7 days 
o Intensive care unit admission during the last 7 days 
o Risk factors associated with Gram-negative pathogens as a causative 
agent19: 
o Chronic or macerated infra-malleolar ulcers, or infra-malleolar 
ulcers with previous antibiotic treatment, in patients with diabetes 
mellitus 20 
o Neutropenia 
o Cirrhosis (Child-Pugh class B or C) 
o Intravenous drug use 
o Human or animal bite 
o Skin laceration acquired in fresh or salt open water 
o Fish fin or bone injuries 
o Severe peripheral arterial disease (Fontaine IV)  
o Severe cellulitis necessitating surgical debridement or fascial biopsy 
o Necrotizing fasciitis 
o Periorbital or perirectal involvement 
o Surgery 
o Life expectancy less than one month 
 
4.4 Sample size calculation 
 
The sample size calculation of is based on three large randomised clinical trials which were 
published in high impact journals in 2014. From the DISCOVER, ESTABLISH and SOLO 
trials, information was gathered on cellulitis clinical cure rates as assessed by investigators 
after therapy: 
DISCOVER21 (dalbavancin vs vancomycin-linezolid): (information from supplementary data) 
- 
Clincal status evaluation at the end of therapy (day 14) of cellulitis patients: 
o Cured: 297/324 and 276/301 
ESTABLISH27 (tedizolid vs linezolid): (information received from authors via e-mail) 
- 
Investigator assessed response at post-therapy evaluation (7-14 days after end of 
therapy) of cellulitis patients: 
o Cured: 265/301 and 263/307 
SOLO28 (oritavancin vs vancomycin): (information received from authors via e-mail) 
- 
Investigator assessed clinical cure rates at the post-therapy evaluation (7-10 days 
after end of therapy) of cellulitis patients: 
o Cured: 294/387 and 315/400 
Total cure rates: 
- 
(297+276+265+263+294+315) / (324+301+301+307+387+400) = 1710 / 2020 = 
84,65% cure rate 
 
A two-group large-sample normal approximation test of proportions with a one-sided 0.050 
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of 85% and considering a difference of 10% between the two groups as equivalence limit, if 
the sample size of each group is 158. This gives a total sample size of 316 patients. 

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5. TREATMENT OF SUBJECTS 
 
5.1 Investigational product/treatment 
 
After 5-6 days of treatment, patients who respond to therapy – defined as absence of 
fever (defined as temp > 38.0°C) and clinical improvement since admission (either self-
reported or investigator-assessed using the cellulitis severity score) – will be randomized 
in a blinded fashion with a 1:1 allocation ratio to receive 6 more days of (A) oral 
flucloxacillin or (B) oral placebo (both starting after day 6): 
 
(A) Regular treatment group: after the initial 6 days of flucloxacillin, another 6 
days of oral flucloxacillin.  
(B) Intervention group: after the initial 6 days of flucloxacillin, 6 days of oral 
placebo.  
 
Flucloxacillin treatment is administered as currently advised by the SWAB9: flucloxacillin 
intravenously 1000mg 4dd or orally 500mg 4dd, as a minimum. Some physicians will 
decide to dose differently, such as intravenously 1000mg 6dd, or orally 1000mg 4-6dd. 
This is allowed, but will be documented and can be taken into account during the 
analyses. No added benefit is to be expected from higher or more frequent dosing. 
Empirical treatment on admission can differ from flucloxacillin, provided it contains a beta-
lactam antibiotic with anti-staphylococcal activity. Switch from intravenous medication to 
the oral route can be initiated before the 6th day of treatment at the discretion of the 
attending physician, but only if the patient has no fever (temp > 38.0°C) and when the 
physician is convinced the cellulitis is improving. Patients who do not respond to treatment 
or whose blood cultures became positive (excluding contamination related positive blood 
cultures) will not be randomized and will be treated at the discretion of the attending 
physician. Their definitive diagnosis upon discharge, definitive antibiotic treatment and 
discharge date will be recorded. 
 
5.2 Use of co-intervention  
 
Other treatment will not be different from daily practice (e.g. diet, contraception, other 
therapies). Compression therapy should be encouraged, but is not obligatory, and is at the 
discretion of the attending physician. 
 
5.3 Escape medication 
 
Not applicable. 
 
5.4 Adherence to investigational treatment 
 
As there are only 6 days of trial medication use, we don’t expect there to be issues with 
adherence. Nevertheless, patients will be thoroughly informed about the necessity of 
adherence to trial medication. To register the rate of adherence, patients will be asked 
how many capsules of the trial medication they have left at day 14-15. Reasons for non-
adherence will be recorded. 

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5.5 Retention of participants 
 
Once enrolled, every reasonable effort to follow the participant until the end of study will 
be made by the investigators. To diminish possible loss to follow-up due to travelling, we 
primarily visit patients at home for follow-up assessments, but also extend the offer to visit 
our outpatient clinic. 

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6. INVESTIGATIONAL PRODUCT  
 
6.1 Name and description of investigational products 
 
1. Flucloxacillin tablet 500 mg capsule, ATC code J01CF05 
 
2. Placebo capsule, currently being procured by dr. E.M. Kemper, hospital pharmacist 
and trial medication specialist 
 
6.2 Summary of findings from non-clinical studies 
 
 1. See Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) of flucloxacillin, paragraph 5.3. 
 
 2. Once finished, this will be available in the placebo’s IMPD.  
 
6.3 Summary of findings from clinical studies 
 
1. See SPC of flucloxacillin, paragraph 5.1. 
 
2. Not applicable. 
 
6.4 Summary of known and potential risks and benefits 
 
1. See SPC of flucloxacillin, paragraph 4.4 through 4.9. The most frequently seen side 
effects are gastro-intestinal upset or skin rash, occurring in 0,1-1% of the patients. 
 
2. Not applicable. 
 
6.5 Description and justification of route of administration and dosage 
 
1. See SPC of flucloxacillin, paragraph 4.2. The 500 mg capsules will be administered 
orally four times/day, as the SWAB guidelines dictate9. Some physicians might alter 
dosing within a certain range as per the “Farmacotherapeutisch Kompas”, this will be 
documented but allowed, although a minimum of 4dd 1000mg i.v. and 4dd 500mg p.o. 
are maintained. 
 
2. These capsules should likewise be administered orally four times/day. 
 
6.6 Dosages, dosage modifications and method of administration 
 
1. With diminished kidney function (creatinine clearance <10 ml/min or hemodialysis): 500 
mg orally every 8 hours. 
 
2. Identical dosage modifications for placebo: one capsule every 8 hours. 
 

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6.7 Preparation and labelling of Investigational Medicinal Product 
 
Preparation and labelling of study drugs will be done according to the relevant GMP 
guidelines by the AMC trial pharmacy.  
 
6.8 Drug accountability 
 
Drug accountability will be done according to the relevant GMP guidelines.

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7. METHODS 
 
7.1 Study endpoints 
7.1.1 
Main study endpoint 
 
The primary endpoint is resolution of cellulitis at 14-15 days, defined as 
disappearance of warmth and tenderness at the site of infection, with substantial 
improvement in erythema and edema, and without recurrence by day 28-29, 
defined as the need of additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis. 
 
This endpoint is in accordance with the study by Hepburn et al12, and assumes that 
erythema and edema take longer to resolve than warmth and tenderness as seen in 
clinical practice. 
7.1.2 
Secondary study endpoints 
 
 
Resolution of cellulitis at 14-15 days, defined as the absence of fever and an 
improvement of the combined symptom score of warmth, tenderness, 
erythema and edema by 2 or more points since patient inclusion (or it has 
reached 0), and without recurrence by day 28-29, defined as a stable or 
further improved combined symptom score, absence of fever and no need of 
additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis. 
o A per protocol analysis of this endpoint (see paragraph 9.1). 
o Sensitivity analyses with two modifications to the day 28 criteria: 
 
Resolution of cellulitis at 14 days, defined as the absence of 
fever and an improvement of the combined symptom score of 
warmth, tenderness, erythema and edema by 2 or more points 
since patient inclusion (or it has reached 0), and with further 
improvement of the combined symptom score of 1 or more 
point(s) (or it has reached 0), absence of fever, and no need of 
additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis by day 28 
 
Resolution of cellulitis at 14 days, defined as the absence of 
fever and an improvement of the combined symptom score of 
warmth, tenderness, erythema and edema by 2 or more points 
since patient inclusion (or it has reached 0), and with further 
improvement of the combined symptom score of 2 or more 
point(s) (or it has reached 0), absence of fever, and no need of 
additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis by day 28 
 
Recurrence of cellulitis by day 90 after inclusion, defined as the need of 
additional antibiotic therapy for cellulitis 
 
Speed of recovery, as determined by improvement in cellulitis severity score, 
and self assessment of subjective pain and swelling on Visual Analog Scales 
scales (0-10), assessed at baseline (day 0), days 2-3, 5-6, 14-15, 28-29 and 
90 (day 90 self-assessment only)12 
 
Mean health-related Quality of Life (using the Dutch SF-36 questionnaire and 
the EQ-5D) at day 0, 28-29 and 90.  

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 
Health care resource utilisation, as determined by total antibiotic use and 
effect on direct and indirect health-care associated costs 
7.1.3 
Tertiary study endpoints 
 
 
Inflammatory parameters as measure for disease severity derived from whole 
blood (e.g. sTREM-1, procalcitonin) 
 
Microbiome analysis, by analysing skin swabs and comparing it with deeper 
cultures and blood markers 
 
Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNP’s) associated with higher disease 
severity, analysed in whole blood   
 
7.2 Randomisation, blinding and treatment allocation  
 
Patients who respond to initial therapy will be randomized in a 1:1 ratio at day 5 by the 
commonly used online ALEA® randomisation software to one of two arms (starting at day 
6):  
 
(A) Standard course: after 6 days of flucloxacillin, another 6 days of oral flucloxacillin. 
 
(B) Short course: after 6 days of flucloxacillin, 6 days of oral placebo. 
 
The independent central randomisation service will create a computer generated random 
schedule in permuted blocks, stratified for diabetes mellitus (yes or no) and study site. 
The code will only be broken in case the DSMB advises to do so.  
 
Hospital pharmacies are closed during the weekends, but there is a possibility that 
patients need to be evaluated for their day 5-6 timepoint somewhere during the period 
between Friday 16:00, and Monday 9:00, while they also need to receive their first dose of 
study medication in that period. For those patients, normal randomisation would be unfit 
because the study medication can’t be delivered in time. For this minor group of patients, 
a different method of randomisation is used: 
- 
Before Friday afternoon (ideally on the day 2-3 visit), the researchers will evaluate 
if the patient is likely to be randomised during the weekend period. If that is the 
case, the default checks in the eCRF are bypassed, and the patient is preliminarily 
randomised, thus assigning a randomisation number, and allowing the pharmacy 
to prepare the appropriate medication. 
- 
Medication for these patients will be prepared by the AMC pharmacy, even if 
patients are admitted to other study sites. The researchers will collect the 
medication and store it in their workspace. 
- 
Upon evaluation of the patient during the day 5-6 timepoint, the researchers will 
judge if the patient is able to be randomised according to the randomisation 
criteria. 
o If the patient can be randomised, the medication will be given as if the 
patient was randomised as normal. Data entry will be done on the same 
day, and the built-in eCRF checks will automatically be performed during 
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o If the patient cannot be randomised, the patient will be treated as any 
other person unfit for randomisation. Medication will be returned to the 
AMC pharmacy at the earliest convenience, for reuse if possible, and the 
drug accountability list entries will be undone. A form will be submitted to 
the Clinical Research Unit, requesting the undoing of the randomisation, to 
free up the used randomisation number. This way, the block randomisation 
will be kept intact without blocks missing patients in the end. 
 
Criteria for medication reuse (such as temperature control) will be 
agreed upon with the pharmacy. 
 
7.3 Study procedures 
 
See paragraph 3.3 for an overview of when study procedures take place. 
7.3.1 
Baseline characteristics and physical examination 
On the first day of enrolment a medical history will be obtained and a physical 
examination will be performed. The following disease characteristics will be collected:  
 
- Demographic and baseline patient characteristics which might intervene with the main 
study parameter (confounders), including: age, gender, medication, ethnic background, 
recreational drug use, comorbidity (including diabetes), smoking, body weight, and 
residence before hospital admission (e.g. other hospital or nursing home). 
 
- Baseline disease characteristics: cellulitis severity score, cellulitis lesion surface area 
(cm2)23, presence of lymphadenopathy (axillary or inguinal), predisposing risk factors for 
cellulitis24 (i.e. venous insufficiency, lymphoedema, peripheral arterial disease, 
immunosuppression, diabetes, trauma, tattoos, ulcers, eczema, tinea pedis and burns), 
white blood cell count and C-reactive protein (CRP). Photographs will be taken of the 
laesion as an illustration of the different grades used in scoring. Physical examination will 
be repeated at day 5-6, 14-15 and 28-29. 
 
- Causative agents: microbiological samples for culture will be collected as aspirates, 
biopsies, deep swabs or other appropriate methods (superficial swabs are not 
acceptable) plus blood culture, according to standard of care at each center. 
 
- Hematology and chemistry lab results will be collected through regular care.  
 
- For the 20 healthy volunteers, only basic data such as age, gender, diabetes status and 
cellulitis history will be recorded. 
 
7.3.2 
Cellulitis severity score 
The severity of cellulitis will be graded at day 0, 2-3, 5-6, 14-15 and 28-29 using a clinical 
scoring sheet, in which the investigators assign an assessment (none, mild, moderate, or 
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ulceration, drainage, and fluctuance. Grading of each will be standardized among 
investigators at the beginning of the study by simultaneous readings. The grading 
designations none through severe are converted into a numerical value of 0 to 3 and 
these numbers were added to create a physician composite score for purposes of 
analysis (maximum score 21). This scoring system is the same as used in the most recent 
therapy duration study.12 This will allow for measuring of objective (investigator-evaluated) 
improvement. 
 
Two investigators (the PhD student and the trial nurse) will be responsible for data 
collection throughout the study. To minimize inter-observer variation and to promote data 
quality, initial patient assessment will be performed simultaneously by both investigators, 
and later independently and scores compared/evaluated. When five patients have been 
assessed independently, resulting in identical scores from both investigators, the 
investigators will start assessing patients on their own. After 100 patients have been 
assessed by a single investigator, the investigators will again assess five patients 
together, to compare scoring and thus improve data quality. During the course of the trial 
it will be evaluated if additional investigators need to be recruited, due to possible heavy 
workload and time spent on traveling between sites. Additional investigators will be trained 
by the PhD student in similar fashion as the trial nurse, with simultaneous and subsequent 
independent scoring as described above. 
 
Patient self assessment scores will be performed at day 0, 2-3, 5-6, 14-15, 28-29 and 90 
by visual Analog Scales (VAS) scores (rated 0-10) in order to determine the amount of 
pain and swelling patients experience accounting for subjective (patient-evaluated) 
improvement. 
 
7.3.3 
Quality of life 
The Dutch SF-36 questionnaire will be used to assess health-related Quality of Life. This 
will be performed at inclusion and after 28-29 and 90 days. The SF-36 is a validated 
questionnaire25, allowing the study population to be compared with equivalent controls in 
the general Dutch population. 
 
7.3.4 
Health care associated costs 
Patient information on antibiotic use and health care utilization for cellulitis related 
complaints (e.g. outpatient services, inpatient admissions, other health care provider 
services, use of antibiotics and other medication, assist devices or materials) will be 
collected at certain intervals. This will be collected through Health Care Utilization 
Questionnaires and patient records at days 5-6, 28-29 and 90. Parallel to this analysis, the 
EQ-5D-3L questionnaire will be utilized to index the health state of the patients and to 
accentuate the cost utility analysis. 
 
7.3.5 
Blood samples 
At day 0, 2-3, 5-6, 14-15 and 28-29 blood will be drawn in order to assess inflammatory 
markers in blood. This will require extra venous punctures. Up to 42 ml of blood can be 
taken each visit, adding up to a total of 83,5 ml for non-AMC patients and 99,5 ml for AMC 
patients (see table for accurate ml per day). Ten (10) ml of EDTA plasma will mainly be 

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used for measurement of biomarkers and cytokines associated with the inflammatory 
process, but an extra 10 ml EDTA plasma will be taken from AMC patients on day 0, to be 
used for RNA and protein analysis in polymorphonuclear (PMN) leukocytes. This will only 
be done in AMC patients and only on day 0, due to time constraints (preparation for 
storage of these samples using Ficoll takes several hours and has to be done soon after 
collection from the patient). After March 30th 2017, no more extra blood will be taken from 
AMC patients. 
 
Citrated blood will be used to analyze parameters of coagulation that have yet to be 
determined. An additional PAXgene tube will be taken to be able to isolate RNA from 
peripheral whole blood leukocytes. To associate certain SNP’s in genes encoding for yet 
to be determined markers (f.e. complement factors), with disease severity and/or 
outcome, an extra 4,5ml EDTA tube will be collected. Samples will be processed on the 
day of collection, and stored in -20°C or -80°C (as needed), for analysis at the time that all 
samples have been collected. 
 
7.3.6 
Skin swabs 
Using kits bought from Microbiome (Houten, NL), we will explore possible new diagnostic 
options. Currently, blood cultures and skin cultures are negative more often than not, and 
(at least for skin cultures) culture results are not always reliable due to uncertainty of 
contamination. From each patient we’ll collect skin swabs (one on the affected limb, one 
on the contralateral limb), and culture results, and we will process a selected number of 
skin biopsies for microbiota analysis (protocol is drawn up in collaboration with 
Microbiome). For a limited number of patients, swabs will be collected from the other limb 
on day 1 as well (so in case of cellulitis of the leg, swabs will also be taken from each 
arm), to a total of 4 swabs. After March 9th 2017, no more swabs will be taken from new 
patients. 
 
From 20 healthy volunteers, which are age- and gender-matched to the population of 
swabbed patients, one swab will be taken from a(n unaffected) lower leg. 
 
 
Volume 
Day 0 
Day 2-3 
Day 5-6 
Day 14-15 
Day 28-29 
Blood 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDTA tube 
10 ml each) 
10 ml* 
1 tube 
(AMC: 
+1) 
1 tube  
1 tube  
1 tube  
1 tube  
Citrated tube  
(4.5 ml each) 
4,5 ml 
2 tubes 
 
 
2 tubes  
  
PAXgene tube 
(2.5 ml each) 
2.5 ml 
1 tube 
 
 
1 tube  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EDTA tube for DNA 
(4,5 ml each) 
4,5 ml 
1 tube 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Microbiome analysis 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Skin swab 
swab 
2-4 
 
 
2 swabs  

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swabs 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Total 
 
26 ml - 
36 ml 
10 ml 
10 ml 
21.5 ml 
10 mL 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Skin biopsy 
4 mm 
3 
 
 
 
 
* Depending on study location; AMC patients will have 20 ml taken on the first day, while 
others have 10 ml taken. The reason for this, is that the extra 10ml takes a lot of time to 
process, and therefore cannot be done for every patient. Seeing how the quality of this 
particular sample depends on the time between drawing the blood and processing it, the 
AMC patients are the best candidates for the best samples. Total blood drawn during the 
course of the study will thus be 87.5 ml from AMC patients, and 77.5 ml from non-AMC 
patients. After March 30th 2017, no more extra blood will be taken from AMC patients. 
 
All variables that are going to be analyzed will be on a pre-clinical level and will be of no 
consequence for individual patients. Only the aggregated information on group level will 
be important. 
 
7.3.7 
Skin biopsies 
Skin biopsies will be performed on patients admitted to the AMC (not to other study 
centers, due to logistic reasons), for use in future studies of the pathobiology of cellulitis. 
Specific consent will be obtained for the collection of these biopsies. On the day of 
enrolment, two biopsies (4mm in diameter) will be taken from the afflicted area plus one 
biopsy (4 mm in diameter) from the contralateral unaffected limb. The majority of the 
biopsy samples will be formalin fixed and paraffin embedded, or snap-frozen. The 
formalin-paraffin samples will be used for pathological (immuno)staining, the frozen 
samples will be used for isolation of mRNA for inflammatory array analysis, selected 
inflammatory parameters, or microbiome analysis. Additional in-depth immunological 
analyses can be decided upon during the course of the study. 
 
A deep skin culture will be taken from the biopsy site during the biopsy procedure. 
 
After March 30th 2017, no more skin biopsies will be taken. 
 
7.4 Withdrawal of individual subjects 
 
Subjects can leave the study at any time for any reason if they wish to do so without any 
consequences. The investigator can decide to withdraw a subject from the study for 
urgent medical reasons.  
 
7.5 Replacement of individual subjects after withdrawal 
 
Not applicable, an intention-to-treat analysis will be performed. 
 
7.6 Follow-up of subjects withdrawn from treatment 
 

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As per usual care, they might receive an antibiotic treatment schedule at the discretion of 
their attending physician. 
 
7.7 Premature termination of the study 
 
The sponsor has the right to terminate the study prematurely if there are any relevant 
medical or ethical concerns, or if completing the study is no longer feasible. If such action 
is taken, the reasons for terminating the study must be documented. All study subjects still 
under treatment at the time of termination must undergo a final examination, which must 
be documented. The METC must be informed without delay if any investigator has ethical 
concerns about continuation of the trial.  
Premature termination of the trial will be considered if: 
 
The risk-benefit balance for the study subjects changes markedly; 
 
It is no longer ethical to continue with the shorter duration of antibiotics 
strategy, as decided by the DSMB; 
 
It is no longer feasible to complete the study. 
 
 

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8. SAFETY REPORTING 
 
8.1 Section 10 WMO event (temporary halt for reasons of subject safety) 
In accordance to section 10, subsection 4, of the WMO, the sponsor will suspend the 
study if there is sufficient ground that continuation of the study will jeopardise subject 
health or safety.  The sponsor will notify the accredited METC without undue delay of a 
temporary halt including the reason for such an action. The study will be suspended 
pending a further positive decision by the accredited METC. The investigator will take 
care that all subjects are kept informed. 
 
8.2 AEs, SAEs and SUSARs 
8.2.1 
Adverse events (AEs) 
 
Adverse events are defined as any undesirable experience occurring to a subject 
during the study, whether or not considered related to the investigational product or 
experimental interventions. All adverse events, reported by the subject or observed 
by the investigators, meeting all of the following criteria will be recorded: 
- 
Severity: grade 2, or grade 1 lasting longer than 1 week, graded by the CTCAE 
(Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, v4.03, June 2010) 
- 
Causality: there needs to be a reasonable suspicion of the AE being an effect of 
the medical treatment 
- 
Time window: between the moment of inclusion and the day 28 follow-up visit 
8.2.2 
Serious adverse events (SAEs) 
 
A serious adverse event is any untoward medical occurrence or effect that at any 
dose:  
- results in death; 
- requirement of hospitalisation or prolongation of existing inpatients’ hospitalisation for  
           reasons not related to cellulitis 
- is life threatening (at the time of the event); 
- results in persistent or significant disability or incapacity; 
- is a congenital anomaly or birth defect; 
- any other important medical event that may not result in death, be life threatening, or 
require hospitalization, may be considered a serious adverse experience when, based 
upon appropriate medical judgement, the event may jeopardize the subject or may 
require an intervention to prevent one of the outcomes listed above. 
 
The sponsor will report the SAEs through the web portal ToetsingOnline to the 
accredited METC that approved the protocol, within 15 days after the sponsor has 
first knowledge of the serious adverse reactions. This holds true for both the 
coordinating center as well as the participating centers (see PIs as stated above).  
 
SAEs that result in death or are life threatening should be reported expedited. The 
expedited reporting will occur not later than 7 days after the responsible investigator 
has first knowledge of the adverse reaction. This is for a preliminary report with 
another 8 days for completion of the report.  
 

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Of note, since a significant part of included patients is expected to be readmitted to 
the hospital due to relapse of cellulitis, the requirement of hospitalisation or 
prolongation of existing inpatients’ hospitalisation due to cellulitis is not considered a 
SAE and will not be reported to the METC but will be subjected by monitoring by the 
DSMB. SAE’s will be reported until the patient reaches the end of study. To facilitate 
SAE reporting in the period between day 28 and day 90, participants will receive a 
card on day 28 with instructions to contact the study team in case any SAE occurs. 
8.2.3 
Suspected unexpected serious adverse reactions (SUSARs) 
Adverse reactions are all untoward and unintended responses to an investigational 
product related to any dose administered. 
 
Unexpected adverse reactions are SUSARs if the following three conditions are met: 
1. the event must be serious (see chapter 8.2.2); 
2. there must be a certain degree of probability that the event is a harmful and an 
undesirable reaction to the medicinal product under investigation, regardless of 
the administered dose; 
3. the adverse reaction must be unexpected, that is to say, the nature and severity 
of the adverse reaction are not in agreement with the product information as 
recorded in: 
- 
Summary of Product Characteristics (SPC) for an authorised medicinal 
product; 
- 
Investigator’s Brochure for an unauthorised medicinal product. 
 
The sponsor will report expedited the following SUSARs through the web portal 
ToetsingOnline to the METC: 
 
SUSARs that have arisen in the clinical trial that was assessed by the METC; 
 
SUSARs that have arisen in other clinical trials of the same sponsor and with the 
same medicinal product, and that could have consequences for the safety of the 
subjects involved in the clinical trial that was assessed by the METC. 
The remaining SUSARs are recorded in an overview list (line-listing) that will be 
submitted once every half year to the METC. This line-listing provides an overview 
of all SUSARs from the study medicine, accompanied by a brief report highlighting 
the main points of concern.  
The expedited reporting of SUSARs through the web portal ToetsingOnline is 
sufficient as notification to the competent authority. 
 
The sponsor will report expedited all SUSARs to the competent authorities in other 
Member States, according to the requirements of the Member States.  
 
The expedited reporting will occur not later than 15 days after the sponsor has first 
knowledge of the adverse reactions. For fatal or life threatening cases the term will 
be maximal 7 days for a preliminary report with another 8 days for completion of the 
report. This holds true for both the coordinating center as well as the participating 
centers (see PIs as stated above).  
 
8.3 Annual safety report 
 

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In addition to the expedited reporting of SUSARs, the sponsor will submit, once a year 
throughout the clinical trial, a safety report to the accredited METC, competent authority, 
and competent authorities of the concerned Member States. 
This safety report consists of: 
 
a list of all suspected (unexpected or expected) serious adverse reactions, along with 
an aggregated summary table of all reported serious adverse reactions, ordered by 
organ system, per study; 
 
a report concerning the safety of the subjects, consisting of a complete safety analysis 
and an evaluation of the balance between the efficacy and the harmfulness of the 
medicine under investigation. 
 
8.4 Follow-up of adverse events 
All AEs will be followed until they have abated, or until a stable situation has been 
reached. Depending on the event, follow up may require additional tests or medical 
procedures as indicated, and/or referral to the general physician or a medical specialist. 
SAEs need to be reported till end of study within the Netherlands, as defined in the 
protocol.  
 
8.5 Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) 
 
The assessment of data quality and the monitoring of compliance with the protocol, 
monitoring of trial conduct and monitoring of evidence for treatment harm will be 
performed by an independent data monitoring team of the AMC, Amsterdam, the 
Netherlands.   
 
A Data Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) will receive and review the progress and 
accruing data of this trial and will provide advice on the conduct of the trial to the Trial 
Steering Committee (TSC). 
 
An independent DSMB will evaluate mortality after 198 patients have completed the trial. 
Given the expected low mortality rates10,19, the power to detect differences in mortality at 
this stage will be very low. Therefore, the DSMB will qualitatively evaluate all deaths for 
their possible relation with the given treatment. Only in case of striking differences 
between the two arms they will inform investigators and the METC. 
 
Members of the DSMB will be:  
 
Chair: prof. dr. J. T. van Dissel, internist-infectiologist, President of the Dutch 
Association for Infectious Diseases (VIZ), LUMC, Leiden, the Netherlands 
 
Dr. S. Geerlings, internist-infectiologist, President of the Dutch Association of 
AIDS-treating Physicians (NVHB), AMC, Amsterdam, the Netherlands 
 
Dr. M. G. W. Dijkgraaf, methodologist, Clinical Research Unit, AMC, Amsterdam, 
the Netherlands  
 
A separate Charter will describe the roles and responsibilities of the independent DMC, 
including the timing of meetings, methods of providing information to and from the DMC, 
frequency and format of meetings and relationships with other committees. 

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9. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS 
 
9.1 General considerations 
 
For the modified intention to treat analysis, all randomized patients who received at least 
one dose of study medication will be included. Missing data will be handled with multiple 
imputation, due to its nature of giving standard errors and P values that incorporate 
missing-data uncertainty22. 
 
For the per protocol analyses, only randomized patients whose compliance was clear, 
and who received at least four days of trial medication (in clinical successes), or one day 
of trial medication (in clinical failures) will be included. 
 
For the per protocol analysis of our primary outcome, patients are considered clinically 
cured if there is resolution of cellulitis at 14 days defined as disappearance of warmth and 
tenderness at the site of infection, with substantial improvement in erythema and edema, 
and without recurrence by day 28, defined as the need of additional antibiotic therapy for 
cellulitis. Clinical failure is defined as the persistence or progression of signs and 
symptoms of the acute process after randomization, or the inability to complete the study 
owing to adverse events. The response is deemed indeterminate when the patient (i) 
received less than 80% of the study drug for reasons other than clinical failure, (ii) 
acquired a concomitant infection outside of the skin requiring antibiotic treatment, (iii) was 
lost to follow-up, or (iv) died unrelated to the primary diagnosis. 
 
For the per protocol analysis of our first secondary outcome (paragraph 7.1.2), patients 
are considered clinically cured if there is resolution of cellulitis at 14 days, defined as the 
absence of fever and an improvement of the combined symptom score of warmth, 
tenderness, erythema and edema by 2 or more points since patient inclusion (or it has 
reached 0), and without recurrence by day 28, defined as a stable or further improved 
combined symptom score, absence of fever and no need of additional antibiotic therapy 
for cellulitis. The response is deemed indeterminate when the patient (i) received less 
than 80% of the study drug for reasons other than unblinding / requiring new antibiotics 
for cellulitis / being unable to continue due to adverse effects, (ii) acquired a concomitant 
infection outside of the skin requiring antibiotic treatment, (iii) was lost to follow-up, or (iv) 
died unrelated to the primary diagnosis. Those whose outcomes are not cured or 
indeterminate are considered clinical failures. 
 
We plan to conduct two subgroup analyses, based on biological plausible explanations, 
and statistically tested with interaction effects. Diabetes mellitus has recently been shown 
to affect outcome in patients treated for complicated skin and skin structure infections, 
through multiple suggested mechanisms26. A high cellulitis severity score reflects an 
extensive local inflammatory response to infection, which might indicate a higher grade of 
infection that possibly requires more intensive or prolonged antibiotic therapy. 
 
9.2 Baseline characteristics 
 
Statistical analysis will be based on the intention-to-treat principle. Baseline assessments 
and outcome parameters will be summarized using simple descriptive statistics. 

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Continuous variables will be summarized with standard descriptive statistics (e.g. mean, 
median, interquartile ranges, etc). Categorical variables will be summarized with 
frequencies and percentages. Ninety-five percent confidence intervals will be provided for 
descriptive statistics, as warranted. 
 
 
Characteristic 
6-day group 
12-day group 
Age (yr) 
 
 
Male sex (%) 
 
 
Ethnicity/race (white/black/asian/other) 
 
 
BMI (kg/m2) 
 
 
No. of days of symptoms before presentation 
(days) 
 
 
Antibiotic treatment preceding presentation 
(%) 
 
 
Risk factors: 
- 
diabetes mellitus (%) 
- 
peripheral arterial disease (%) 
- 
lymphoedema (%) 
- 
non-diabetic ulcer (%) 
- 
venous insufficiency (%) 
- 
eczema / dermatitis (%) 
- 
trauma (%) 
- 
immunosuppression (%) 
- 
tattoos (%) 
- 
burns (%) 
- 
tinea pedis (%) 
- 
none (%) 
 
 
Cellulitis laesion surface area at presentation 
(cm2) 
 
 
Axillary or inguinal lymphadenopathy (%) 
 
 
Resident at health care centre (%)  
 
 
Previous episode(s) of cellulitis (%) 
 
 
Smoker (%) 
 
 
Temperature at presentation (oC) 
 
 
Leukocyte count (x109/l) 
 
 
C-reactive protein (mg/l) 
 
 
Initial cellulitis severity score (score) 
 
 
Total % of positive cultures (%) 
- 
Streptococcus pyogenes (%) 
- 
Staphylococcus aureus (%) 
- 
MRSA (%) 
- 
Other Gram+ (%) 
- 
Gram- (%) 
 
 
Duration of hospital stay (days) 
 
 
Table 2. Baseline characteristics to be collected 
 

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9.3 Primary study parameter(s) 
 
For the primary outcome, the proportion of successful treatments will be calculated for the 
two groups, and the absolute risk difference (with one sided 95% confidence limit) will be 
estimated to evaluate the non-inferiority hypothesis. In a secondary analysis, the 
difference in proportion in the two groups will be adjusted for relevant baseline covariates, 
using a logistic regression analysis. The difference in proportion of successful treatments 
will be estimated at mean values for the covariates. 
9.4 Secondary study parameter(s)  
 
Differences in secondary outcome parameters will be reported as relative risk or mean 
difference (with 95% confidence interval), and p-values for statistical significance 
estimated  with the Chi-square test, t-test or Mann-Whitney test, where appropriate. A 
Kaplan-Meier analysis will be performed to compare the time to relapse (defined as 
requiring additional antibiotics for cellulitis) between the two groups. 
 
 
Variable/outcome 
Hypothesis 
Outcome measure 
Methods of analysis 
1. Primary 
 
 
 
Resolution without relapse 
Intervention not inferior to 
control 
Percent cured on day 14 without 
relapse by day 28 [binary] 
Absolute risk difference 
2. Secondary 
 
 
 
Resolution without relapse (per 
definition of protocol version 9.4, 
see paragraph 7.1.2, including both 
sensitivity analysis and per protocol 
analysis) 
Intervention not inferior to 
control 
Percent cured on day 14 without 
relapse by day 28 [binary] 
Absolute risk difference 
(Per protocol analysis: Chi2  
Relative Risk) 
Relapse by day 90 
No difference 
Percent with relapse [binary] 
Chi2  Relative Risk 
Time to relapse 
No difference 
Relapse after cure [time to event] 
Kaplam-Meier survival analysis 
Objective speed of recovery 
No difference 
Cellulitis severity score 
[continuous] 
Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney 
U test 
Subjective speed of recovery 
No difference 
Visual analogue scales of pain 
and swelling [continuous] 
Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney 
U test 
Quality of life 
No difference 
SF-36 questionnaire score at day 
0 and 90 compared to population, 
day 14 and 28 compared to day 
5-6 [continuous] 
Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney 
U test 
Antibiotic usage 
No difference 
Total costs of antibiotic use 
[continuous] 
Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney 
U test  
Health care utilization 
No difference 
Total treatment associated costs, 
Health Care Utilization 
Questionnaire [continuous] 
Student’s T-test or Mann-Whitney 
U test 
3. Subgroup analyses 
 
 
 
Cellulitis severity score on a 
continuous scale 
Severity score affects rate of 
cure 
 
Regression analysis, with 
interaction term for severity score 
Diabetes mellitus vs no diabetes 
mellitus 
Diabetes affects rate of cure 
 
Regression analysis, with 
interaction term for (no) diabetes 
4. Sensitivity analyses 
Intervention not inferior to 
All outcomes 
 

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control 
Per protocol analysis 
 
 
Chi2  Relative Risk 
Primary outcome adjusted for 
baseline covariates 
 
 
Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel  
Relative Risk 
Table 3. Analysis methods per outcome measures or variables 
 
 
9.5 Other study parameters 
 
Not applicable.  
 
9.6 Interim analysis 
 
An interim analysis will be performed on mortality after 198 patients have completed the 
trial. If mortality has occurred in the course of the trial, the two treatment groups will be 
compared for rate of mortality. If one group has a higher rate of mortality, an independent 
researcher with unblinded access to the allocation of patients will be asked to compile a 
report for the DSMB. The DSMB will convene and evaluate the unblinded results, and 
present their recommendations to the trial steering committee. Only the sponsor has the 
authority to stop or modify the trial. Criteria to prematurely stop the trial are listed in 
paragraph 7.7. For more information on interim analyses, see paragraph 8.5 and the 
DSMB charter. 

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10. ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 
10.1 Regulation statement 
 
Full medical confidentiality will be preserved. The Declaration of Helsinki, the Note for 
Guidance on Good Clinical Practice (ICH GCP; CPMP/ICH/135/95, step 5 consolidated 
guideline) and the EU Directive for clinical trials (2001/20/EG) are followed. 
 
10.2 Recruitment and consent 
 
Eligible patients will be informed by the study coordinator, informed colleague and/or 
research nurse about the study. If they are interested, they will be given the patient 
information letter, and the principle investigator/trial nurse will be summoned to visit the 
patient to discuss all questions patients might have. Patients will be given some time to 
consider their decision, keeping in mind that the baseline assessment has to be 
performed within 24h of admittance. 
 
10.3 Objection by minors or incapacitated subjects (if applicable) 
 
Not applicable. 
 
10.4 Benefits and risks assessment, group relatedness 
 
The use of antibiotics is associated with multiple side-effects such as gastrointestinal 
complaints, the selection of resistant micro-organism and depletion of the gut microbiota. 
Therefore, strategies to lower the duration of antibiotic therapy are both of direct benefit 
to the patients and the society as a whole. The individual risk might be that shorter 
duration of antibiotics for cellulitis might lead towards relapse of the disease after which a 
new course of antibiotics is needed. In the current trial we want to evaluate whether short 
duration of antibiotics is equally effective as long duration of antibiotics for patients 
hospitalized with cellulitis.  
 
10.5 Compensation for injury 
 
The sponsor/investigator has a liability insurance which is in accordance with article 7, 
subsection 6 of the WMO. 
  
The sponsor (also) has an insurance which is in accordance with the legal requirements 
in the Netherlands (Article 7 WMO and the Measure regarding Compulsory Insurance for 
Clinical Research in Humans of 23th June 2003). This insurance provides cover for 
damage to research subjects through injury or death caused by the study. 
1. € 450.000,-- (i.e. four hundred and fifty thousand Euro) for death or injury for each 
subject who participates in the Research; 
2. € 3.500.000,-- (i.e. three million five hundred thousand Euro) for death or injury for 
all subjects who participate in the Research;  
3. € 5.000.000,-- (i.e. five million Euro) for the total damage incurred by the 
organisation for all damage disclosed by scientific research for the Sponsor as 
‘verrichter’ in the meaning of said Act in each year of insurance coverage. 

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The insurance applies to the damage that becomes apparent during the study or within 4 
years after the end of the study. For additional information, see document G1. 
 
10.6 Incentives 
 
Not applicable. 
 
10.7 Risk assessment 
 
The main risks of this study are a lower cure rate and a higher relapse rate of cellulitis in 
the 6-days treated arm. Keeping studies in other infectious diseases in mind, this risk 
seems small. Only clinically stable patients are included, critically ill patients as well as 
patients not responding to therapy the first 6 days are excluded. The small remaining risk 
is acceptable to us in view of the great advantages that a general shortening of antibiotic 
treatment of cellulitis would yield.  

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11. ADMINISTRATIVE ASPECTS, MONITORING AND PUBLICATION 
11.1 Handling and storage of data and documents 
Patient data will be centralized by the Principal Investigator and kept under strict 
confidentiality.  
 
The following data sources will be used; 
- 
Demographic data, cellulitis history, and general medical history will be collected from 
the hospital records, either digital or paper. When unavailable or incomplete, it will be 
collected directly from the patient him-/herself. 
- 
Physical examination results will be taken from hospital records, when performed by 
the attending physician. If unavailable or incomplete, one of the investigators will 
perform the physical examination to complete the results. These additional results will 
be recorded on the paper version of the eCRF (see below), and then entered in the 
eCRF. Cellulitis surface area, and the maximum height and width of the laesion are 
generally not clinically relevant, and will therefore not be noted in the records. 
- 
The cellulitis severity score will be recorded on the paper version of the eCRF before 
being entered in the eCRF. It will not be mentioned in the hospital records. 
- 
Lab and culture results will be collected from the hospital records. 
- 
VAS scores and questionnaires will be entered straight into a digital survey tool 
(LimeSurvey, provided by the Clinical Research Unit) on a computer, by the patient. 
In some cases, a digital survey tool will be unfit for the patients, and bedside paper 
questionnaires (which the digital survey is based on) can be used. The answers of 
this questionnaire will directly be entered into the digital survey tool by the 
investigators, at the same time that other eCRF data is entered. These paper 
questionnaires will all be kept at the primary study site (AMC, due to logistic reasons) 
with denomination of study ID and study timepoint. 
- 
Medication information will be registered using the hospital records, as well as 
entered manually by patients themselves in one of the questionnaires. 
- 
Information on additional antibiotics received after discharge, will be collected from 
patients themselves or, when in doubt on the validity of statements made by patients, 
checked with the pharmacy. 
- 
Information on day 90, such as medication changes, readmissions, adverse events, 
etc, will be collected by telephone from patients themselves, and recorded on a single 
paper CRF before entering in the eCRF. Day 90 information from before 15-9-2016 
have been subject to direct entry, during/right after the telephone call. In both cases, 
information from hospital records can/could also be used as source data. When 
information sources conflict(ed), the investigators would assess which was more likely 
to be correct. 
 
Data will be collected in an electronic CRF (eCRF) directly, in a digital survey tool, or 
written on a printed and modified version of the eCRF  which will be used in bedside 
evaluations The printed version of the eCRF will be stored in the primary study site 
(AMC) regardless of the admitting hospital, for logistic reasons (investigators visit multiple 
patients daily, from different hospitals, often at home, and returning each CRF to it’s 
respective study site would take too much time and effort). These CRF's will be 
anonymous using only the patient study ID. In regards to storage location, temporary 
exceptions can be made when practical reasons demand otherwise. Alternate locations 
are other study sites, but the final storage location is the AMC. Information can be 
entered into the eCRF directly without writing it down on the paper CRF first, this can be 

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marked as such on the paper CRF. Informed consent forms will be kept at the local study 
site. All patients will have access to their own information through their physician. During 
the study, the anonymity and confidentiality will be guaranteed and patient identification 
will be coded. All subjects will be identified by patient identification number on all (case 
report) forms, laboratory samples or source documents forwarded to the sponsor. No 
subject names will be disclosed. The key to the code will be safeguarded by the principal 
investigator and study coordinator.  
 
For the 20 healthy volunteers, only basic demographic data (such age, sex, diabetes 
status and cellulitis history) will be recorded. These will be asked verbally and entered 
straight into a separate Microsoft Excel file. 
 
Representatives of regulatory agencies, as allowed by local regulations, may review 
clinical information. The handling of personal data will comply with the Dutch Personal 
Data Protection Act (in Dutch: De Wet Bescherming Persoonsgegevens, Wbp). 
 
11.2 Monitoring and Quality Assurance  
A data management system will be designed, developed and maintained in house at the 
AMC Clinical Research Unit. Mandatory study monitoring and reporting will be performed 
in accordance with the ICH Good Clinical Practice (GCP) guidelines. See also above at 
DSMB. 
 
11.3 Amendments  
A ‘substantial amendment’ is defined as an amendment to the terms of the METC 
application, or to the protocol or any other supporting documentation, that is likely to 
affect to a significant degree: 
- the safety or physical or mental integrity of the subjects of the trial; 
- the scientific value of the trial; 
- the conduct or management of the trial; or 
- the quality or safety of any intervention used in the trial. 
 
All substantial amendments will be notified to the METC and to the competent authority. 
Non-substantial amendments will not be notified to the accredited METC and the 
competent authority, but will be recorded and filed by the sponsor. The DSMB will also be 
informed of any substantial amendments. 
 
11.4 Annual progress report 
The sponsor/investigator will submit a summary of the progress of the trial to the 
accredited METC once a year. Information will be provided on the date of inclusion of the 
first subject, numbers of subjects included and numbers of subjects that have completed 
the trial, serious adverse events/ serious adverse reactions, other problems, and 
amendments.  
 
11.5 End of study report 
The sponsor will notify the accredited METC and the competent authority of the end of 
the study within a period of 90 days. The end of the study is defined as the last patient’s 
last study day.  

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In case the study is ended prematurely, the sponsor will notify the accredited METC and 
the competent authority within 15 days, including the reasons for the premature 
termination. 
 
Within one year after the end of the study, the investigator/sponsor will submit a final 
study report with the results of the study, including any publications/abstracts of the 
study, to the accredited METC and the Competent Authority.  
 
11.6 Public disclosure and publication policy 
The principal investigators will be responsible for publication of the study results. The 
results of the study will be disclosed unreservedly.The principles of generally accepted 
specifications for authorship shall be followed in the appointing of authors and co-authors. 
All contributors to a specific publication (abstract, original report) will have a true 
opportunity for full evaluation of the final text before submission to a scientific meeting or 
an editor. Of note, this concerns an investigator initiated study. 
 
 
 

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12. REFERENCES 
 
1. Swartz MN. Clinical practice. Cellulitis. The New England journal of medicine 
2004;350:904-12 
2. Hay RJ, Adriaans BM. Bacterial Infections. In: Burns DA, Breathnach SM, Cox NH, 
Grif?ths CEM editor(s). Rook’s Textbook of Dermatology. 7th Edition. Vol. 1, Oxford: 
Blackwell  Publishing, 2004:27.16–27.20. 
3. Jenkins TC, Knepper BC, Sabel AL, et al. Decreased antibiotic utilization after 
implementation of a guideline for inpatient cellulitis and cutaneous abscess. Archives of 
internal medicine 2011;171:1072-9 
4. Stevens DL, Bisno AL, Chambers HF, et al. Practice guidelines for the diagnosis and 
management of skin and soft-tissue infections. Clinical infectious diseases : an official 
publication of the Infectious Diseases Society of America 2005;41:1373-406. 
5. Wielink G KS, Oosterhout RM, Wetzels R, Nijman FC, Draijer LW. NHG-standaard 
Bacteriele huidinfecties. Huisarts Wet 2007;50(9):426-44. 
6. Bergkvist PI, Sjobeck K. Relapse of erysipelas following treatment with prednisolone or 
placebo in addition to antibiotics: a 1-year follow-up. Scandinavian journal of infectious 
diseases 1998;30:206-7. 
7. Jenkins TC, Sabel AL, Sarcone EE, Price CS, Mehler PS, Burman WJ. Skin and soft-
tissue infections requiring hospitalization at an academic medical center: opportunities for 
antimicrobial stewardship. Clinical infectious diseases : an official publication of the Infectious 
Diseases Society of America 2010;51:895-903. 
8. Goettsch WG, Bouwes Bavinck JN, Herings RM. Burden of illness of bacterial cellulitis and 
erysipelas of the leg in the Netherlands. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology 
and Venereology: JEADV 2006;20:834-9. 
9. SWAB antibiotic therapy guidelines, www.swab.nl. Last accessed on 1-8-2012. 
10. Kilburn SA, Featherstone P, Higgins B, Brindle R. Interventions for cellulitis and 
erysipelas. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2010, Issue 6. Art. No.: CD004299 
11. Wassenberg M, Kluytmans J, Erdkamp S, et al. Costs and benefits of rapid screening of 
methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage in intensive care units: a prospective 
multicenter study. Crit Care 2012;16:R22. 
12. Hepburn MJ, Dooley DP, Skidmore PJ, Ellis MW, Starnes WF, Hasewinkle WC. 
Comparison of short-course (5 days) and standard (10 days) treatment for uncomplicated 
cellulitis. Archives of internal medicine 2004;164:1669-74. 
13. Wiersinga WJ, Bonten MJ, Boersma WG, et al. SWAB/NVALT (Dutch Working Party on 
Antibiotic Policy and Dutch Association of Chest Physicians) guidelines on the management 
of community-acquired pneumonia in adults. The Netherlands journal of medicine 
2012;70:90-101. 
14. el Moussaoui R, de Borgie CA, van den Broek P, et al. Effectiveness of discontinuing 
antibiotic treatment after three days versus eight days in mild to moderate-severe community 
acquired pneumonia: randomised, double blind study. BMJ 2006;332:1355. 
15. Bader MS, Hawboldt J, Brooks A. Management of complicated urinary tract infections in 
the era of antimicrobial resistance. Postgraduate medicine 2010;122:7-15. 
16. Michael M, Hodson EM, Craig JC, Martin S, Moyer VA. Short compared with standard 
duration of antibiotic treatment for urinary tract infection: a systematic review of randomised 
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17. Sandberg T, Skoog G, Hermansson AB, et al. Ciprofloxacin for 7 days versus 14 days in 
women with acute pyelonephritis: a randomised, open-label and double-blind, placebo-
controlled, non-inferiority trial. Lancet 2012;380:484-90. 

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18. Chan A-W, Tetzlaff JM, Gøtzsche PC, Altman DG, Mann H, Berlin J, Dickersin K, 
Hróbjartsson A, Schulz KF, Parulekar WR, Krleža-Jeric K, Laupacis A, Moher D. SPIRIT 
2013 Explanation and Elaboration: Guidance for protocols of clinical trials. BMJ 
2013;346:e7586. 
19. Gunderson CG. Cellulitis: definition, etiology, and clinical features. The American journal 
of medicine 2011;124:1113-22. 
20. Lipsky BA, Berendt AR, Gunner Deery H, et al. Diagnosis and treatment of diabetic foot 
infections. CID 2004;39:885-910 
21. DBoucher HW, Wilcox M, Talbot GH, Puttagunta S, Das AF, Dunne MW. Once-weekly 
dalbavancin versus daily conventional therapy for skin infection. N Engl J Med 
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22. Little RJ, D'Agostino R, Cohen ML, et al. The prevention and treatment of missing data in 
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23. Langemo D, Anderson J, Hanson D, Hunter S, Thompson P. Measuring wound length, 
width, and area: which technique? Advances in skin & wound care 2008;21:42-5; quiz 5-7. 
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Dutch language version of the SF-36 Health Survey in community and chronic disease 
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26. Lipsky BA, Itani KM, Weigelt JA, et al. The role of diabetes mellitus in the treatment of 
skin and skin structure infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus: 
results from three randomized controlled trials. Int J Infect Dis 2011 Feb;15(2):e140-6. 
27. Moran GJ, Fang E, Corey GR, Das AF, De Anda C, Prokocimer P. Tedizolid for 6 days 
versus linezolid for 10 days for acute bacterial skin and skin-structure infections 
(ESTABLISH-2): a randomised, double-blind, phase 3, non-inferiority trial. Lancet Infect Dis 
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Appendix I: the definition of cellulitis 
 
The terminology used to describe different types of skin and soft tissue infections can be 
confusing because different terms are used in various countries to describe skin and soft 
tissue infection.1,3,20 The term erysipelas is mainly used in northwestern European countries 
to describe a specific type of cellulitis mainly caused by S. pyogenes involving superficial 
dermal structures distinguished clinically by raised borders and clear demarcation between 
involved and uninvolved skin. Cellulitis is less clearly marked and involves the dermis and 
subcutaneous tissues and may be caused by various microorganisms that are indigenous to 
the skin (most frequently S. aureus).1,3,20 To further complicate this, Dutch dermatologists 
reserve the term cellulitis for non-infectious inflammation of the lower legs.  
Here, we use the international definition of cellulitis used for clinical trials: cellulitis is a 
general descriptive term suggesting infection and indicating the warmth, erythema, and 
induration of skin and/or subcutaneous tissue, with or without pain (this also includes 
erysipelas).10,21 Cellulitis is considered to be severe if the patient is admitted to the hospital to 
receive intravenous antibiotics.