Final answer:
To cover for the symptoms presented, such as purulent cellulitis and fever, it is critical to target gram-positive cocci, especially Staphylococcus aureus, and consider treatment for MRSA with appropriate antibiotics like vancomycin.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a patient presents with uncomplicated cellulitis that is purulent, indicating the presence of pus, and has a high temperature, you would generally want to cover for gram-positive cocci, specifically Staphylococcus aureus, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), which is a common cause of skin infections. Since S. aureus is known to resist many antibiotics, appropriate antibiotic susceptibility testing must be conducted to determine the most effective treatment. Given that MRSA is suspected in cases of purulent cellulitis, agents like vancomycin or other MRSA-effective antibiotics should be considered. Cover for gram-negative rods and anaerobic organisms is typically necessary only in polymicrobial infections, severe or chronic wounds, or if the patient's history and clinical presentation suggest these etiologies.