Mortality trends for cellulitis-related death in older adults in the United States: 24-year CDC analysis of gender, race, and geographical disparities.

Introduction: Cellulitis is one of the significant causes of death among skin diseases in the United States, with an estimated 14.5 million cases occurring each year, accounting for a healthcare burden of $3.7 billion. Methods: Public data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention database were used to extract death certificates for cellulitis-related deaths in the United States. Disparities in trends of certain variables, such as sex, race, state, census region, and metropolitan status, were identified for calculating annual percent change through the Joinpoint Regression Program. Results: A total of 99 094 cellulitis-related deaths were identified (44.46% males, 55.53% females). Overall, age-adjusted mortality rate increased from 79.7 [95% confidence interval (CI): 76.7-82.7] in 1999 to 108.6 (95% CI: 105.8-111.4) per 1 000 000 population in 2023. Joinpoint analysis revealed a slight increase from 1999 to 2008, a sustained rise from 2008 to 2019, and a steep rise from 2019 to 2023. Non-Hispanic White individuals [age-adjusted mortality rates (AAMR): 97.1; 95% CI: 93.8-100.3] and the Midwest Census Region (AAMR: 99.6; 95% CI: 98.2-100.9) had the highest mortality rates. Conclusions: Cellulitis mortality has risen in the United States over 25 years, especially among men, non-Hispanic Whites, and rural populations. Contributing factors include comorbidities, healthcare access, and disparities. Despite low inhospital mortality, frequent admissions highlight treatment gaps and inequalities.