Skin Infections and Infestation Flashcards
What are some examples of skin infections?
- Impetigo
- Folliculotis
- Cellulitis
- Erysipela
- Syphilis
- Leprosy (Hansen’s disease)
- Rickettsial disease (spotted fever and scrub typhus)
What is leprosy also known as?
Hansen’s disease
What is impetigo?
Common and highly contagious skin infection that mainly affects infants and children. Impetigo usually appears as red sores on the face, especially around a child’s nose and mouth, and on hands and feet. The sores burst and develop honey-colored crusts.
What is the most common bacterial infection in children?
Impetigo
What are some predisposising factors to impetigo?
- Warm temperature
- High humidity
- Poor hygiene
- Skin trauma
What bacteria usually causes impetigo?
Caused by staph aureus, to a lesser degree strep pyogenes
What is the treatment for impetigo?
- Local wound care
- Topical antibiotics
What is folliculitis?
Infection of hte hair colliculi
What bacteria most commonly cuses folliculitis?
Staph aureus
What are some predisposing factors to folliculitis?
- Occlusion
- Maceration and hyperhydration
- Shaving or waving
- Topical corticosteroids
- Diabetes
Where on the body does folliculitis normally occur?
Normally occurs on face, chest, back, axillae or buttocks
What investigation is useful with folliculitis?
Bacterial culture cna help identify causative orgnanisms
What is the treatment of folliculitis?
- Antibacterial washes
- Antibacterial ointments
What is erysipelas?
Infection of dermis with lymphatic involvement, most commonly caused by group A streptococci
What bacteria most commonly causes erysipelas?
Group A streptococci
Who usually suffers from erysipelas?
Disease of the very young, elderly, the dehilitated and those with lymphedema or chronic cutaneous ulcers
What is the clinical presentation of erysipelas?
Erythema with well defined margins
Affected skin fells hot, tense and indurated
Affects face and lower extremities
What is required to diagnose erysipelas?
- Clinical
- Lab may show an elevated leukocyte count with a left shift
What is the treatment of erysipelas?
- 10-14 day course of penicillin
What is cellulitis?
Infection of the deep dermis and subcutaneous tissue
What is cellulitis most commonly caused by?
Strep pyogenes and staph aureus
What are risk factors for cellulitis?
- Lymphedema
- Alcoholism
- Diabetes
- IV drug buse
- Peripheral vascular disease
What is the clinical presentation of cellulitis?
- Affected areas show
- Rubor (erythema)
- Calor (warmth)
- Dolor (pain)
- Tremor (swelling)
- Lesion has ill-defined non-palpable borders
Describe the lesion due to cellulitis?
Ill-defined and non-palpabe borders
What is required to diagnose cellulitis?
- Clinical
- Leukocyte count is usually normal and blood cultures are negative in most cases
What is the treatment of cellulitis?
Antibiotics
What is syphilis?
Complex sexually transmitted infection (STI) caused by bacteria Treponema Pallidum
What is syphilis caused by?
Treponema pallidum
What is the clinical presentation of syphilis?
Episodes of active disease followed by latent periods
Widespread rash and flu like symptoms develop next (secondary syphilis)
If left untreated tertiary syphilis may develop years layer and cause a variety of problems:
- Affecting brain, eyes, heart and bones
What can happen if syphilis is left untreated?
If left untreated tertiary syphilis may develop years layer and cause a variety of problems:
- Affecting brain, eyes, heart and bones
What investigations are done for syphilis?
- Serological tests turn positive about 5 to 6 weeks after acquiring infection
- Non-specific non-treponemal tests (VDRL)
- Specific anti-treponemal antibody tests (TTPA)
What does VDRL stand for?
Non-specific non-treponemal tests
What does TTPA stand for?
Specific anti-treponemal antibody tests
What is the treatment of syphilis?
- Penicillin by injection depending on stage of disease
What are the different kinds of syphilis?
Primary syphilis
Secondary syphilis
Tertiary syphilis
What is the clinical presentation of primary syphilis?
Initially syphilis appears as painless sore (ulcer) where infection entered:
- Usually around genitals, anus or mouth
- Sore is known as a chancre
- Single small firm red painless papule quickly ulcerates
When does primary syphilis advance to secondary?
3 weeks to 3 months after 1st stage, widespread rash occurs:
- May be subtle or appear as rough, red or reddish brown papules or patches
- Occurs typically on trunk and often affects palms and soles
- Does not itch
What is the clinical presentation of secondary syphilis?
- May be subtle or appear as rough, red or reddish brown papules or patches
- Occurs typically on trunk and often affects palms and soles
- Does not itch
In what phase of syphilis is the patient infectious and can transmit to their partner?
Tertiary syphilis
What is the clinical presentation of tertiary syphilis?
Normally no signs on clinical examination:
- Solitary granulomatous lesions (gummas) may be found on skin, in mouth and throat or occur in bones
- Brain, spinal cord, heart, liver, eyes may also be affected
What are some examples of viral skin infections?
- Herpes simplex
- Chicken pox
- Shingles
- Viral warts
- Molluscum contagiosum
What does HVS stand for?
Herpes simplex virus
What are the different kinds of HSV?
HVS 1
HVS 2