skin infections Flashcards
skin infections: summarise the epidemiology of organisms that commonly cause skin infections, and recall the biology and main clinical features of common skin infections and infestations, including Staphylococcus aureus, Treponema pallidum, herpes simplex, varicella zoster, Trichophytum rubrum and Sarcoptes scabei
epidemiology of skin disease
skin disease common, with skin high infection rates in hot humid conditions and poor populations
skin disease due to infection in GP vs hospital
more infection % in GP than hospitals
prevalence of skin infection by geographical infection
malignant tumours higher in white areas; bacterial, fungal, eczema/dermatitis higher in developing countries
describe appearance of Staph. aureus
“bundles of grapes” with a capsule
commensal Staph. aureus location (but can become skin infection)
nose, armpits and groin
resistant Staph. aureus
MRSA (not worse just harder to treat)
4 toxins produced by Staph. aureus and what they cause
panton valentine leucocidin (aggressive soft tissue infection), exfoliative toxin (blisters), TSST-1 (septicaemic features), enterotoxin (causes diarrhoea from contamination of food)
besides skin infection, what else can it infect (can go on and cause sepsis)
bone, joint and lung (lung particularly after flu)
infection of Staph. aureus in subcorneal layer of epidermis
impetigo (honey-coloured crustic erosion; can produce exfoliative toxin causing splitting of skin to form bullous - blisters containing bacteria which cause puss)
infection of Staph. aureus of mouth of hair follicle
folliculitits
infection of Staph. aureus of full thickness of epidermis
ecythma (crusted thick lesion with necrotic surface of skin, forming thick scar; caused by infected insect bite)
infection of Staph. aureus causing abscess of puss of hair follicle
boil (same as abscess)
infection of Staph. aureus causing multiple abscesses of several adjacent hair follicle
carbuncle
who is affected by staphylococccal scalded skin syndrome
children under 5 (Staph. aureus causing superficial cleavage of skin)
how is staphylococccal scalded skin syndrome treated
antibiotics
key features of Staph. auereus
variety of presentations, golden crust, diagnosed by swab, determine which antibiotics it will respond to
what is Treponema pallidum
spiral gram -ve bacteria causing syphilis (STD)
3 phases of syphilis
primary, secondary, latent syphilis, tertiary syphilis
describe primary stage of syphilis
3-8 weeks after inoculation, causing painless ulcer (weepy ulcer on genitals or mouth)
describe secondary stage of syphilis
6-12 weeks after inoculation, disseminated infection, generalised rash and lymphadenopathy. with ondyloma lata “warty” regions present too
describe tertiary stage of syphilis
years later, causing inflammatory lesions affecting skin, neurological and vascular (can also cause thoracic aneurysms)
describe congenital syphilis
acquired perinatally with early and late manifestations
what can neurosyphilis cause
dementia