Abstract
<title>Abstract</title> <p> Background Skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs) present a substantial clinical and economic burden globally, particularly in low-income settings. They range from mild cellulitis to life-threatening conditions like necrotizing fasciitis, making localized clinical tracking vital for management. Objective To study the epidemiology, clinical patterns, and 3-week treatment outcomes of patients presenting with acute soft tissue infections at the Bamenda Regional Hospital (BRH), Cameroon. Methods This hospital-based prospective cohort study was conducted over four months (April to July 2024) at the emergency and surgical units of BRH. Clinically diagnosed patients were tracked using pretested data collection forms and followed up for 3 weeks’ post-treatment initiation. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 26, utilizing Chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests to evaluate variable associations. Statistical significance was set at <italic>p</italic> < 0.05 after multivariate analysis. Results The study enrolled 81 participants (54 males, 27 females) with a mean age of 45.9 ± 16.39 years, revealing an institutional SSTI prevalence of 1.2%. The highest incidence occurred in patients aged 30 to 40 years (28.4%). The primary presenting symptoms were swelling (18.2%) and pain (18.0%). Cellulitis was the predominant clinical type (37.0%), primarily localized to the lower limbs (65.9%). Most patients received combined medical and surgical treatments (70.4%). While overall clinical improvement was noted at 3 weeks, 24.7% of patients developed complications, and the mortality rate was 2.5%. The presence of a complication significantly impaired overall recovery ( <italic>p</italic> = 0.017). Conclusion Although the overall institutional prevalence of acute SSTIs was low, lower-limb cellulitis remains the leading clinical presentation, predominantly affecting young adult males. The high complication rate significantly delays recovery, underscoring the critical need for early clinical intervention and target-driven management protocols in regional African settings. Trial Registration Clinical trial number: not applicable </p>