Skin infections and infestations Flashcards
What lives on your skin?
Your own lil’ microbiome!
Strep epidermis, Staph. Aureous (both aerobic cocci)
Corynebacterium, Propionbacterium
Malassezia furfur (yeast)
What are the signs of infection
Redness
Hot
Inflammation
Pain
Swelling
Fever
Pus
Does pus = infection?
Not always, can be sterile pus…. mmmmm yumm
Common bact. infection in the skin?Due to: Examination findings, tretment.
Impetigo
Due to Staph. Aureus, Strep. Pyogenes
Examination findings = honeycomb crustying like cluster. May have spread if itched then touched/itched elsewhere
Antibiotics: Localised: Fusidic acid/Mupirocin cream (both 5 days)
Widespread: Flucoxacillin (7days)/Erythromycin (7 days)
What is Cellulitis and Erysipelas?
Caused by bact. infections. Big patches of redness.
Usually Strep. Pyogenes
Staph.Aureus
If severe: IV Flucloxacillin and Benzylpenicillin
What would require hospital admission for Erysipelas?
If occuring around the eye and signs of any form of systemic illness/could have gone to brain/eye eg nausea, systemically unwell etc
Bact infection differencials
Deep vein thrombosis
Venous eczema
Allergic contact dermatitis (allergy due to something touching it etc)
Necrotising fasciitis
BAct infection investigations and tratments
Charcol swab (MC&S)
Start antibiotics
Review after ~48hrs
check skin swab result
switch according to sensitivities
If not better in a week:
consider alternative diagnosis
Oedema blisters
Often due to sudden swelling eg heart failure. Big, hot and red.
Lipodermatoscleosis
Inflammation of the fat under the tissue, looks dark and nasty. Often due to poor circulation.
Tinea vs candidas
Tinea is mould. Candidasis = yeast
Different names for Tinea
Tinea pedis (athletes foot)
Tinea corpis (on body) aka ring worm
Tinea capitis (head)
Tinea Cruris (groin)
Onychomycosis (nails)
Treatment of Fungal inections
topical if superficial
Oral antifungals if much deeper (inc. scalp/nails)
check and treat other family members
Eczma vs Tinea
Eczma is often bilateral
If unsure send off a skin scraping
Candida vs Intertrigo signs, investigation and treatment
Both occur most commonly in creases and places where skin can either rub (Intertrigo) or be warm and moist (Candida).
Candida often has satelite pimples around red area.
If unsure send off skin scraping.
Candida tratment: Nystatin, Miconazole, Ketoconazole cream
Intertrigo treatment = Emollient
Viral warts look like
mini crusty cauliflowers
Viral wart treatments
Cyrotherapy/ irritating factors for the skin so that the skin can realise there is a virus there and start an immune response. Otherwise usually o in a couple of years. Often caused by HPV (Human Papilla Virus)
What are Molluscum Contagiosum?
DNA Pox virus
Simelar to warts. - wait for immune response. But have to monitor secondary infection. Around armpits will spread to chest, or if on hips can spread across. Can give 5% Potassium Hydroxide
HSV 1 vs 2 (Herpes Simplex)
HSV1 = mouth ulcers
HSV2 = genital areas.
HSV treatment
Aciclovir
Chicken pox proper name
Herpes-Zoster virus OR Varicella Zoster Virus
What is shingles
Basically reignited chcken pox, just as a strip across the back. You can;t catch shingles bt can pass on the virus to cause chicken pox
What is scabies?
Wee mites that come and burrow around. Their poo causes the irritation. If a shed tonne causes crusted (Norwegian Scabies).
Typicl scabies sites
Genital areas and Web areas (nipples. genital area, back of hands, top of feet, ankles, wrists, belly button)
Scabies treatment
Permethrim (dirty scumbags can’t afford alcohol so just use meth from around the rim) - Per- Meth- Rim twice for 8h 1 week apart
All close contacts and household members
