Module 6: Skin, hair, nails Flashcards
Abnormal characteristics of pigmented lesions are summarized by ABCDE. What does that stand for?
Asymmetry (not regularly round or oval, two halves of lesion don’t look the same)
Border irregularity (notching, scalloping, ragged edges or poorly defined margins)
Colour variation (areas of brown, tan, black, blue, red, white, or combination)
Diameter greater than 6 mm
Elevation and evolution
This is the outer layer of the skin, thin but tough , consists of the inner basal cell layer and outer horny cell layer
Epidermis
The interstate basal cell layer forms what? And what is their major ingredient?
New skin cells, keratin
The inner supportive skin layer consisting mostly of connective tissue or collagen. Tough, fibrous protein that enables the skin to resist tearing
Dermis
What lies in the dermis?
Nerves, sensory receptors, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels.
Also hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands
What skin layer is adipose tissue?
Subcutaneous layer
What is the function of the subcutaneous layer?
Stores fat for energy, provides insulation for temperature control, and aids in protection by its soft, cushioning effect
Our epidermis is completely replaced every how many weeks
4
Muscular _______ Contract and elevate the hair in our skin resembling goosebumps during exposure to cold or in emotional states
Arrector pili
The protective lipid substance secreted through her hair follicles is called what? And is produced by what glands?
Sebum, produced by Sebaceous glands
The two types of sweat glands we have are called
Eccrine and apocrine
What are the 9 functions of the skin?
Protection, prevention of penetration, perception, temperature regulation, identification, communication, wound repair, absorption and excretion, reduction of vitamin D
How does the skin Regulate temperature
Heat dissipation through sweat glands and heat storage through subcutaneous insulation
How does the skin produce vitamin D?
UV light converts cholesterol into vitamin D
How does the skin allow perception?
Skin is a vast sensory surface that Holds the sensorineural end organs For touch, pain, temperature, and pressure
Generalized (all over) skin colour change is suggestive of
Systemic illness: pallor, jaundice, cyanosis
What are some medications that may produce allergic skin eruption?
Aspirin, antibiotics, barbiturates, some tonics
Medications that may increase some light sensitivity and produce burn response
Sulphonamides, thiazide diuretics, oral Hypoglycemic agents, tetracycline
Ashen-grey Colour in dark skin or marked pallor in light skin occurs with
Shock, anemia, and arterial insufficiency
When the red pink tones from the oxygenated haemoglobin in the blood are lost, your skin takes on the colour of connective tissue collagen, which is mostly white. What is the term
Pallor
Colour is common in acute high stress states, such as anxiety and fear, because
The powerful personal vasoconstriction from sympathetic nervous system stimulation.
The skin also looks pale with vasoconstriction from exposure to cold and cigarette smoking and in the presence of edema
In dark-skinned people, Generalize pallor can be observed where?
Mucous membranes, lips, nailbeds.
the palpebral conjunctiva and nailbeds are preferred sites for assessing the pallor of anemia
Erythema is intense redness of the skin from excess blood (hyperemia) in the dilated superficial capillaries. This sign is expected with
Fever, local inflammation, or with emotional reactions such as blushing in vascular flush areas
How do you assess inflammation in dark skinned persons ?
Palpate the skin for an increased warmth, taughtness or tightly pulled Surfaces, which may indicate edema, and hardening of deep tissues or blood vessels
Cyanosis (bluish, mottled discolouration that signifies decreased perfusion) Indicates what?
Hypoxemia and occurs with shock, heart failure, chronic bronchitis, and congenital heart diseases
Jaundice indicates what?
Rising amounts of bilirubin in the blood
Jaundice occurs with
Hepatitis, cirrhosis, sickle cell disease, transfusion reaction, and hemolytic disease of the newborn
Where is jaundice first noted?
In the junction of the hard and soft palate in the mouth and in the sclera
Diaphoresis (profuse perspiration) A company is an increase in
metabolic rate, as occurs in strenuous activity or fever
Where do you look for dehydration?
Oral mucous membranes
*What would you consider the cause of unilateral edema?
Consider a local or peripheral cause
What would you consider for a bilateral edema or edema generalized over the whole body?
Consider a central problems such as heart failure or kidney failure
Deep pitting, indentation remains for a short time, swelling of leg - is what grade of edema?
3+
Mild pitting, slight indentation, no perceptible swelling of the leg - is what grade of edema?
1+
Moderate pitting, indentation subsides rapidly. Is graded as
2+
How does mobility and turgor reflect the elasticity of the skin?
Mobility is the skins ease of rising, turgor is its ability to return to place promptly when released
What is the difference between primary and secondary lesions?
Primary – when a lesion develops on previously unaltered skin
Secondary – when a lesion changes over time or changes because of a factor such as scratching or infection
The profile sign of the nail should be about how many degrees?
160°
*Clubbing occurs with
Congenital, chronic, and cyanotic heart disease and with emphysema and chronic bronchitis
In early clubbing, the nail angle straightens out to how many degrees and the nail base feels
180°, feels spongy on palpation
What do pits, transverse grooves, or lines of the nails indicate?
May indicate a nutrient deficiency or may accompany acute illness in which nail growth is disturbed
Depressing the nail edge to cause blanching, then releasing noting the return color, indicates the status of the peripheral circulation. Cyanotic nail beds for sluggish colour return may be indicative of
Cardiovascular or respiratory disfunction
Pruritus (itchy skin) The most common of skin symptoms occurs with
Dry skin, aging, medication reactions, allergy, obstructive jaundice, uremia, less infestation
A flat macular haemorrhage is called a
Purpura
