Rashes + skin infections Flashcards
Describe this rash.
What condition does it relate to?
Chicken pox
Develops from red bumps, to fluid-filled blisters to crust and scabbed lesions - common on scalp, face and middle of the body.
What is chicken pox?
An acute disease, predominantly in childhood, caused by varicella-zoster virus.
The virus can persist in the sensory nerve ganglia of the dorsal root.
Can reactivate and cause shingles.
What are the clinical features of chicken pox?
Incubation period: 10-20 days
Fever initially, general signs of bacterial infection (myalgia, pain, loss of appetite)
Itchy rash starting of head/trunk before speading, intially macular then papular then vesicular
Systemic upset is usually mild
What is the transmission of chickenpox like?
Personal contact or airborne spread
Incubation - 2-3weeks
Infections from 2 days before rash until vesicles are dry/crusted over usually 5-7days after onset.
What are some common complications of chicken pox?
bacterial skin infection - young children
Lung involvement - adults - varicella pneumonia
Pregnancy -> severe maternal chickenpox and foetal varicella syndrome
Immunocompromised -> disseminated with varicella pneumonia, encephalistis, heaptitis and haemorrhagic complications.
How do we treat the symptoms of chicken pox?
When and what antiviral might be considered?
High risk individual and their close contacts can receive a two stage vaccination programme.
Antiviral medication - aciclovir ( if present within first 24hrs of rash),
Paracetamol
Shingles - antiviral tends to be aciclovir, NSAIDs, amitriptyline, oral corticosteroids
What condition has this type of rash?
Bacterial meningitis - commonly meningococcal septicemia
Starts as small pink/purple pinpricks and spreads into larger purple/pink blotches
Is a non-blanching rash.
What is the relevant epidemiology and prognosis of bacterial meningitis?
Life-threatening conditions
Most common in babies and children
UK 1 per 100,000
4-10% fatality in children and 25% mortality in adults.
What is the transmission route of bacterial meningitis?
Close contracts
Droplets
Direct contact with secretion
What are the clinical features of bacterial meningitis?
Symptoms - neck stiffness, vomitting, headache, altered consciousness, fever, photophobia, non-blanching rash and seizures.
Signs - kernigs test, brudzinski test.
Neonates - non specific - hypotonia, poor feeding , lethargy, hypothermia and bulging fontanelle.
What are the two common types of meningitis?
Neisseria meningitidis - menigococcus - can cause meningococcal septicemia resulting in the rash
Streptoccocus pneumoniae - pneumococcus
Neonates - Group B strep from vaginal canal.
In the community what should you do for a child with suspected meningitis?
If suspected and non-blanching rash adminstered urgent/STAT IM?IV benzypenicillin prior to urgent hospital transfer.
Only do not give if true penicillin allergy, then transfer immediately to hospital.
How common are complications from meningitis?
What are these complications?
Pneumococcal = 30%
Meningococcal = 7%
Include hearing loss, seizures+epilepsy, cognitive impairment and learning disability, memory loss, cerebral palsy (focal neurological deficit such as limb weakness or spasticity)
What factors affect the prognosis of bacterial meningitis?
Age - higher fatality at extremes
The causative organism
Presence of comorbidities
Severity of presentation
What conditions has this rash?
Erythema multiforme
Describe the rash seen in erythema multiforme.
Widespread, itchy, erythematous rash.
Norm on hands/feet then spreads to the tummy, chest, back or face.
Does not norm affect mucous membranes but can cause a sore mouth (stomatitis).
Typically self resolves within 1 to 4 weeks.
Typical ‘target lesion’ appearance - darkest red at centre
What is the typical cause of erythema multiforme?
Cutaneous type 4 hypersensitivity reaction
Usually caused by infection: herpes simplex virus or mycoplasma pneumonia.
Drug sensitivities: sulphonamides, barbiturates, antibiotics.
What is the treatment for erythema multiform typically like?
Treatment of the rash is normally not required.
Treatment of the underlying cause typically allows resolution of the rash.
What is impetigo?
A common superficial bacterial infection of the skin, norm cause of staphylococcus resulting in a golden crust.
Highly contagious
There are two main types: non-bullous and bullous impetigo.
What are the common complications of impetigo?
Usually mild
Complicates are rare - glomerulonephritis and cellulitis.
What is the difference between non-bullous and bullous impetigo?
Non-bullous - around nose or mouth, exudate from lesions forms a dry gold crust, no system symptoms
Bullous - also staph, aureus, epidermolytic toxins break down proteins in the skin, causes fluid filled vesicles to form on the skin, these grow and burst forming golden crust. Painful and itchy. Often have systemic symptoms. Severe = scalded skin syndrome
What is the relevant stats epi,prog and prev surrounding impetigo?
Affects all age groups - most common in young children
Up to 3% of up to eyrs and up to 1.5% of 5-15yrs.
How is impetigo managed in primary care?
Highly contagious - children should be off school.
Non-bullous - topical fusidic acid, anti-septic cream (hydrogen peroxide 1%)
Oral flucloxacillin if more severe
Bullous - flucloxacillin IV or oral.
What conditions is this rash indicative of?
Impetigo