Fungal Skin Infections

Question 1

Fungal transmission through touch

Answer 1

Tineas organism; lives on skin, plants, surfaces; can get under skin in surgery

Question 2

Cryptococcal

Answer 2

Fungus you get thru inhalation

Question 3

Candidiasis

Answer 3

Fungus you can get through taking antibiotics

Question 4

Who is more at risk for fungal infections?

Answer 4

The elderly, immunocompromised, pts with catheters, organ transplant pt, getting chemo

Question 5

Superficial fungal skin lesions examples

Answer 5

Tinea pedis, tinea captitis, tinea vesicolor, candidasis

Question 6

Causes of superficial fungal skin lesions

Answer 6

Mycosis or dermatophytes; only on superficial skin

Question 7

What fungus is located on hair, skin, and nails

Answer 7

Tineas and candidiasis

Question 8

Tx for superficial fungal skin lesions

Answer 8

Topical antifungal preparations—systemic antifungals needed for tx failure or extensive areas

Question 9

Candida albicans and sx

Answer 9

Type of yeast that likes warm dark areas (mouth, genitals, under breasts); causes thrush and beefy red spots with satellite lesions in intertriginous areas

Question 10

Thrush

Answer 10

White lesions in mouth

Question 11

Risk factors for Candida albicans

Answer 11

Immunocompromised, antibiotic use, HIV, chemo

Question 12

Tx for Candida albicans

Answer 12

Topical antibiotics

Question 13

Superficial dermatophytes and location

Answer 13

The Tineas; Lives on keratinized tissues of skin, hair, or nails

Question 14

Tinea corporois

Answer 14

Ringworm of the body

Question 15

Tinea pedis

Answer 15

Athlete’s foot—dry, scaly, itchy on web spaces and spreads to the toes

Question 16

Tinea pedis tx

Answer 16

OTC topicals, oral or IV systemic

Question 17

Tinea pedis SE risk factors and NC

Answer 17

Contact with skin, wet environment; shower shoes, clean tub, keep dry

Question 18

Tinea versicolor

Answer 18

Non-contagious red, white, and pink patches on upper chest, back, arms (ringworm)

Question 19

Tinea versicolor risk factors and tx

Answer 19

Hot climate, sweat, oily, weak immune system; tx with antifungal shampoo

Question 20

Tinea capitis

Answer 20

Scaly lesions and alopecia on scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes (cradle cap)

Question 21

Tinea capitis tx

Answer 21

PO systemic antifungals for 4-6 weeks; NO topicals

Question 22

Tinea Cruris

Answer 22

Ringworm of the groin

Question 23

Systemic fungal infection sx

Answer 23

Can affect internal organs—intestines, brain, urinary; in lungs, can cause blastomyosis, pneumocystis, histaplasmosis (common in KY bc good enviro for it)

Question 24

Which systemic fungal infection can affect lungs and meninges?

Answer 24

Cryptococcosis

Question 25

—osis

Answer 25

Fungal infections that damaging and often seen in immunocompromised patients

Question 26

Systemic fungal infection tx

Answer 26

Need IV and aggressive oral tx

Question 27

Herpes zoster

Answer 27

Shingles; Varicella zoster virus that lies dormant in CNS along dermatomes after chickenpox; becomes activated by immunocompromised, stress, or illness

Question 28

Development of herpes zoster

Answer 28

Prodrome: burn, tingle along dermatome then rash development with vesicles that crust over; often unilateral but may progress

Question 29

Characteristics of herpes zoster

Answer 29

Vesicles on red base that follow along dermatomal distribution—asymmetric (doesn’t cross midline); very painful, clears in 2-3 weeks, often in people over 50 (can occur in anyone who had pox or certain people who haven’t)

Question 30

When are shingles most contagious?

Answer 30

When vesicles are weepy

Question 31

Shingles tx

Answer 31

Antivirals, often IV

Question 32

Complications of shingles

Answer 32

Post-herpetic neuralgia persistent pain in the area where the rash was (in 13% of cases)