Common Cutaneous Infections Flashcards
Major components of the normal skin flora
Aerobic cocci (Staphylococci and Streptococci)
Corynebacteria
Gram negative bacteria
Yeast (Malassezia)
Appearance of Staphylococcal lesions
- Usually appear as pustules, furuncles, or erosions with honeycolored crusts
- Bullae, widespread erythema and desquamation, or vegetating pyodermas may also indicate Staphylococci
Commensal Staphylococci
- Anterior nares of 20-40% of adults
- MAy also reside on hands and perineum
- Individuals usually infected via the nasopharyngeal route with their own Staphylococci
MRSA Risk Factors
- Exposure to children
- Prior antibiotic therapy
- Age >65
- Exposure to others with MRSA history
- Crowded housing
- Chronic skin disease
- Contact sports
- Pets
- Recent hospitalization for chronic illness
- HIV/AIDS
Treatment for Staphylococcal Infection
- First line treatment: Cephalexin (1st generation cephalosporin)
- For community-acquired infections withour MRSA risk factors, clindamycin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, doxycycline, or oral linezolid.
- MRSA Presumed without testing in patients with substantial risk factors
- IV Vancomycin or Linezolid for MRSA
- The underlined do not cover group A streptococci and should be perscribed with penicillin if coinfection is suspected. Clindamycin alone is sufficient to treat both.
Staphylococcal folliculitis
- May affect eyelashes, axilla, pubis, thighs
- Pubic follicultis may be sexually transmitted
Staphylococcal folliculitis of the pubis
Furuncle = boyle (acute, round, tender, circumscribed, perifollicular abcess that ends in central suppuration)
Carbuncle = two or more furuncles
Staphylococcal furunculosis
- Begins in hair follicles, continues by autoinoculation
- Often undergo necrosis and rupture, spilling out pussy necrotic discharge
- Usually begins with skin lesion, often from shaving
Impetigo contagiosa
- May be staphylococcal, streptococcal, or combined (70% staph aureus, rest GAS or combination, Group B streptococci common in newborn impetago)
- Characterized by discrete, thin-walled vesicles that rapidly become pustular and then rupture
- complication of pediculosis capitis
- Spread around the body via fingers or towels contaminated with discharge
- More common in hot humid weather
- May complicate other inflammatory skin conditions or skin infections
Diseases that impetigo may immitate
- Ringworm infection
- Toxicodendron dermatitis
Treatment of Impetago contagiosa
- Systemic antibiotics and topical treatment combination recommended
- Since most are staphylococcal, semisynthetic penicillins and 1st generation cephalosporines recommended
- Soak off crusts frequently to prevent autoinfection, and follow soaking with topical antibiotics
Bullous impetago
- Caused by bacteriophage 71- or 55-infected S. aureus
- Usually occurs in newborns (starts 4-10 days after birth)
- Neonatal type highly contagious and often affects family and nurses
- Often starts on hands and face, appear as large fragile bullae
- Rupture to leave impetigo circinata, which are circinate, weepy, crusted lesions
- Weakness and fever present as a late symptom
- Diarrhea or green stool, pneumonia, bacteremia, meningitis
Bullous impetago
(impetago circinata also visible)
Erysipelas
- aka St. Anthony’s Fire
- Streptococcal infection (Usually GAS, sometimes goup C or G, often B in infants)
- Intense local redness, heat, swelling, with a raised, indurated border (may develop secondary features like bullae, vesiculation, sometimes with associated gangrene)
- Often, but not always, preceded by malaise and fever, headache, vomitting, joint pain
Complications of Erysipelas
Septicemia, deep cellulitis, necrotizing fasciitis, abcess development
Erysipelas is often confused with. . .
Contact dermatitis
Angioneurotic edema
The major distinguishing features are the absence of itchiness and the presence of fever
Treatment for erysipelas
- Systemic penicillin very effective
- General constitution improves within 24-48 hr, but skin may take longer to heal
- Treat w/ antibiotics for at least 10 days
- ice bags/cold compress locally
- Leg involvement and bullae may require hospitalization and monitoring with IV antibiotics
- Recurrence may occasionally occur, in which case long-term antibiotic prophylaxis is recommended
Cellulitis
- suppurative infammation involving the subcutaneous tissue
- Usually follows some discernable wound
- Mild local erythema and tenderness, malaise, fever, chills may be present at onset
- Spreads outward from central wound
- Pits upon pressure
- Central part may become vesicular or necrotic
- May be followed by gangrene, metastatic abscesses, and severe sepsis
Diagnosing cellulitis
- Usually made on clinical grounds
- uncommon for blood studies, including cultures, and skin biopsies or aspirates to be positive
- If, however, an open wound is present, there is a high probability of a culture being positive
Causes of cellulitis
- Streptococci ~75% of cases
- Remainder mostly staphylococci
Cellulitis
Intertrigo
- Superfcial infammatory dermatitis occurring where two skin surfaces are in apposition
- As a result of friction, heat, moisture, the affected fold becomes erythematous, macerated, and secondarily infected
- may be erosions, fssures, and exudation, with symptoms of burning and itching
*
Risk factors for intertrigo
- Heat, humidity
- Obesity
- Extremes of age
Organisms which may cause the secondary infection associated with intertrigo
- Streptococcus
- Staphylococcus
- Pseudomonas
- Corynebacterium
Maceration
Maceration occurs when skin is in contact with moisture for too long. Macerated skin looks lighter in color and wrinkly. It may feel soft, wet, or soggy to the touch. Skin maceration is often associated with improper wound care
How skin microbiota protect us
- Provide ecological competition for potentially infectious agents
- Produce free fatty acids, which are toxic to many bacteria, from triacylglycerols
The most common cause of orolabial Herpes infection
HSV-1
__% of individuals infected with HSV-1 at some point will develop skin lesions
50% of individuals infected with HSV-1 at some point will develop skin lesions
Most persons with HSV-2 infection are . . .
Most persons with HSV-2 infection are symptomatic, but the majority do not recognize that their symptoms are caused by HSV
First episode
As opposed to primary infection, first episode refers to the first observed instance of disease manifestation, which may be due to primary infection or a recurrence
Tzanck smear
- Nonspecific method for diagnosing an alpha group Herpesvirus
- Scrape of the base of an ulcer or skin lesion and staining
- Screening for multinuclear epidermal giant cells which are characteristic of alpha Herpesvirus infection
- Accuracy 60-90%, false positive rate 3-13%
Methods for diagnosing an alpha Herpesvirus infection
- Tzanck smear (only gives you alpha Herpesvirus, not which kind, and requires an acute vesicular lesion)
- Direct Fluorescent Antibody Test (specific to type of virus)
- Viral culture (specific and relatively quick)
- PCR
- Histology
- Immunohistochemistry
- Serology not that helpful
*
Orolabial Herpes
- Virtually always HSV-1
- Prodrome of 24 hours of itchiness or irritation common
- Major presentation is cold sore, blisters on lips or gingival mucosa with erythematous base
- Herpetic gingivostomatitis in <1% of infected, usually young adults or adolescents
- Accompanied with fever, malaise, regional lymphadenopathy
- May develop to pharyngitis with ulceration or exudation
- May recur in cheeks, eyelids, earlobes, hard palate
- UV light a common cause of recurrence
Treatment for Orolabial Herpes
- Untreated, lasts 1-2 weeks
- If severe, IV acyclovir 5 mg/kg 3 times per day recommended
- For more mild cases, oral acyclovir 15 mg/kg 5x daily for 7 days or valacyclovir 1g 2x daily for 7 days will reduce duration by 50%
Genital Herpes
- Usually caused by HSV-2
- HSV-1 represents 50% of cases in women under 25
- Spread by skin-skin contact, often as STI, lesions are infectious
- Incubates ~5 days before appearing, prodromal itching or discomfort, presentation of skin lesion lasts 1-3 weeks
- Risk of transmission in partners is 5-10% annually
- grouped blisters on an erythematous base, with initial episode lasting 10-14 days and subsequent episodes shorter
- Fever, flulike symptoms, inguinal lymphadenopathy bilaterally
- Virtually all those infected have recurrence at some point
- Psychological stigma a big part of the disease, must be addressed
Treatment for Genital Herpes
- Oral acyclovir 200 mg 5x daily or 300 mg 3x daily
- Famcicyclovir or valacyclovir similar regimens
*