Dermatology I Flashcards
What is laceration vs an abrasion?
- Abrasions: result from rubbing or friction applied to the epidermal layer of the skin, extending to the uppermost portion of the dermis.
- Laceration: result from a sharp edged object cutting through various skin layers
What are the 3 steps to wound healing?
- Inflammatory phase
- Proliferative phase
- Remodeling phase
Describe the inflammatory phase.
The body’s immediate response to injury
* Characterized by hemostasis and inflammation
Describe the proliferative phase.
The wound is filled with new connective tissue and covered with new epithelium
Describe the remodeling phase.
Continual collagen synthesis and breakdown.
What are local factors that delay healing?
- Poor tissue perfusion/oxygenation
- Inadequate moisture
- Presence of foreign bodies
- Presence of necrotic tissues or infection
What are systemic factors that delay the healing process?
- Advanced age over 60 years
- Stress
- Inadequate nutrition
- Medical conditions such as diabetes or obesity
- Immunocompromising conditions
- Medications (corticosteroids, NSAIDS, blood thinners, immunosuppressants)
What is the first aid checklist?
Assess the injury
* Cause (refer if animal or human bite or if not accidental)
* Timing (refer if chronic)
* Depth (refer if deep partial thickness or full thickness)
* Size (refer if greater than 1/2 an inch)
What are supportive measures for wound care?
- Cleanse the wound
- Apply moist wound care
- Relieve pain and/or discomfort
How are old ideas of wound dressing different from the new ideas?
Old Recommendation: Let it air out!
New Recommendation: Keep it covered
What are the types of wound dressings?
- Gauze
- Adhesive Bandages
- Hydrocolloid dressing
- Transparent Adhesive Film
- Liquid adhesive bandage
When would we recommend using gauze for wound dressing?
Burns/wounds that are bleeding, draining, or require debridement.
What are some key counseling points for using gauze as a wound dressing?
- Must be held in place by a second agent unless using adhesive gauze.
- Must be changed often to prevent the wound from drying out.
When would we recommend using adhesive bandages for wound dressing?
Minor acute skin injuries
What are some key counseling points for using adhesive bandages for wound dressing?
- Most do not provide a moist healing environment–> use topical skin protectant
When would we recommend using hydrocolloid dressings for wound dressing?
Partial thickness wounds with minimal to moderate exudate, minor burns, or blisters
What are some key counseling points for hydrocolloid dressings for wound dressing?
- After contact with moisture, forms gels and helps protect the wound by absorbing excess exudate and maintaining moisture.
When would we recommend using transparent adhesive films for wound dressing?
Superficial-thickness and superficial partial-thickness wounds with minimal exudate.
What are the key counseling points for transparent adhesive films for wound dressing?
- Flexibility is helpful with wounds on/around the joints
- Transparency allows easy wound inspection
When would we recommend using liquid adhesive bandages for wound dressing?
Simple cuts and lacerations
What are the key counseling points for liquid adhesive bandages for wound dressing?
- May be preferred for cosmetic considerations or when a more flexible dressing product is needed.
- May stay on for 5-10 days.
What are examples of skin protectants?
- Emollients
- Moisturizers
What do emollients and moisturizers do?
Protect the injured area from irritation from friction and rubbing
What are common ingredients in skin protectants, such as emollients and moisturizers?
- Petrolatum
- White petrolatum
- Dimethicone
- Zinc oxide
- Glycerin
- Lanolin
- Cocoa butter
- Colloidal oatmeal
What do first aid antibiotics consist of?
One or more of the following:
1. Bacitracin
2. Neomycin
3. Polymyxin B sulfate
What are first aid antibiotics indicated for?
- The prevention of infection in minor skin injuries.
- Many are ointments, which aid in maintaining a moist healing environment.
What is a key counseling point for first aid antibiotics?
- Should be applied after cleanising the injury site and before applying the sterile bandage/gauze
What are ointments and when do you use them?
- Ointments form protective films that impede water evaportation
- Used to treat minor burns and wounds in which the skin is intact
What are creams and when do you use them?
- Allow some fluid to pass though
- Used to treat broken skin
What are lotions and when do you use them?
- Spread easily over large surfaces
- Used to treat large burns or wound area
What are exclusions for self-treatment for wound dressing?
- Cuts longer than 1/2 inch
- Cut that continues bleeding after 10 mins of applied pressure
- Wound secondary to an animal or human bite
- Deep partial thickness or full thickness
- Any suspected non-accidental injury
- Signs of infection
- Preexisting medical disorders that could complicate management
- Wound containing foreign matter after irrigation
- Chronic wound
- Site of injury: face, hands, feet, major joints, genitals or perineum
- Injury seems to worsen or does not show signs of healing after 7 days.
What are the different types of burns?
- thermal burns
- electrical burns
- chemical burns
What are thermal burns?
A result from skin contact with flames, scalding liquids, or hot objects.
What are electrical burns?
Occur when electricity flows through the body from an entry point to an exit point
* Heat of an electic current damages the skin
What are chemical burns?
Occur secondary to exposure to corrosive or reactive chemicals that cause tissue damage
What is a superficial burn?
1st degree
What is a partial-thickness burn?
2nd degree (can be superficial or deep)
What is a full-thickness burn?
3rd degree
What are the goals for treating burns?
- Minimize the extent of the burn
- Clean the wound
- Address the pain
What are things to note for the general treatment of burns?
- Most patients with burns up to 10% TBSA can be managed as outpatients
- Initial appearance often causes underestimation of severity; reassess burn after 24-48 hours.
- All patients with electrical or chemical burns MUST be referred to a hospital ER for evaluation.
What are common ways to treat burns?
- Remove clothing items
- Remove items that can cause a tourniquet effect
- Run under cool tap water for at least 20 mins
- Remove contaminants and necrotic skin with gentle irrigation.
- Apply moisture-retentive dressings (partial thickness), skin protectants, and/or first aid antibiotics
What are exclusions for self-care for burns?
- Chemical, electical, or inhalation burns
- Deep partial thickness or full thickness burns
- Circumferential burns
- Patients with preexisting medical disorders
- Burns greater than 3 inches in diameter
- Not healing in 7 days
What is the background for head lice?
- Also known as pediculosis
- Affects all socioexonomic groups
- 6-12 million infestations occur each year in the US among children 3-11 years of age
- Outbreaks ussually peak after the opening of schools each year (between August and November)
- Infestation is NOT significantly influenced by hair length or frequent brushing/shampooing