Final answer:
The bone infection accompanying cellulitis indicates a progression to complicated cellulitis, which is managed with aggressive antibiotic therapy and often surgical intervention. The condition, osteomyelitis, signifies a more severe infection beyond uncomplicated cellulitis.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question concerns whether the presence of bone infection, detected by imaging in a patient already suffering from cellulitis, should be treated as complicated or uncomplicated cellulitis. Given the information that antibiotic treatment was not effective and surgical intervention was necessary to remove infected tissue, the infection has escalated from uncomplicated cellulitis to a more severe form.
The presence of a bone infection indicates a condition called osteomyelitis, which is an inflammation of bone tissues often caused by bacterial infection, and can lead to serious complications like sepsis or thrombosis. The condition is typically managed with aggressive antibiotic therapy and often requires surgical debridement or removal of the infected bone tissue. Broad-spectrum antibiotics such as nafcillin, oxacillin, cephalosporin, or vancomycin are used, depending on the nature of the pathogen and its resistance profile.
Given the progression of the disease and the failure of antibiotic therapy alone, we can determine that this case should be treated as complicated cellulitis. The presence of osteomyelitis necessitates a more complex treatment approach, including potential surgery, and points to a seriousness that exceeds that of uncomplicated cellulitis cases.