Infections & Infestations Flashcards
Describe the progression of HSV?
1st exposure causes the first clinical episode or goes straight to latency.
Lies latent in your DRG
New episodes occur due to certain stimuli
What can cause a flare up of HSV?
- Trauma
- Menstruation
- Sunlight
- Fever
- Stress
- random?
So if a patient presents with small closely grouped vesicles/pustules that come and go in the same place?
Herpes simplex virus
Tends to return to the same spot as the first exposure e.g. hands/genital/mouth
How do we treat HSV?
Aciclovir
What patients suffer badly with HSV?
Immunocompromised or atopic patients
How does Herpes Zoster Virus appear?
Closely grouped vesicles in a dermatomal distribution
What conditions are caused by HZV?
Chickenpox on primary exposure
Shingles later
How do you trat HZV and what are its complications?
Aciclovir
Extensive Scarring and Post-herpetic Neuralgia
If a patient tells you they had a small number of papules/vesicles on their hands and after 6 weeks broke out in itchy excoriations and pustules on their chest what do you think they have?
SCABIES!!
Mites transferred from person to person burrow under you skin and shit. after 6 wks or so you get allergic to the faeces and break out in the itchy rash
How is Scabies transmitted?
Person to person.
Its slow, you have to hold someones body for around a minute for the mites to pass over. (so think loved ones)
What can you look for to confirm scabies?
Visible burrows in the skin, mainly the hands.
How do you treat scabies?
Liclear cream
Patient has to cover their whole body in it, wait 8 hours, wash it off and repeat in 1 wk
Ensure you treat all their contacts simulatenously to prevent re-infection
What virus causes warts?
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
has a 4 month incubation period
What are the types of Warts?
Common
Plantar
Genital
Other - Plane/filiform/mosaic
How do you treat warts?
Largely let them regress themselves
Chemical paints e.g. salicylic acid
Cryotherapy e.g. Liq Nitrogen
Imiquimod (genital warts)
What are the main bacterial species causes skin infections?
Staph Aureus
Streptococci
They can cause Impetigo, Ecthyma/Cellulitis, Erysipelas and boils (Furuncle)
How do we treat bacterial infections?
Antibiotics
IV for Erysipelas
Drain pus from a boil
Whats the most common fungal infection and how do you get it?
CAndida Yeast
Wet, unclean areas like under breasts. nails or between fingers get infected if you don’t keep them clean
How does candida present and how do we get ris of it?
Erythema rash with satellite pustules
Oral or topical antifungals (e.g. fluconazole)
What infections can dermatophyte fungi cause?
Tinea Pedia (Athlete’s Foot)
Tinea Corpuris
Tinea Cruris (akak Tinea Incognito)
Tinea Barbea
How do Tinea infections appear?
Flaky red rings with scaly bits around the edge
Tinea Pedis has white lacerated flaky skin between toes
Tinea Incognito loses the scaly appearance, often just being a large reg patch expanding from the inguinal creases
How do we test for Tinea infection?
Skin scrape from the edge of the scaly rings for a fungal culture
What is Kerion?
A fungal scalp infection, mainly in kids whos scalps dont make much sebum (grease).
Looks like honeycomb oozing raw part of the scalp
How do we test for kerion?
Hair sample from affected area for a fungal culture
