Skin & soft tissue infections Flashcards
2 most common bacterial causes of cellulitis
- staph aureus
- strep pyogenes
What is scarlet fever
Upper body rash following pharyngitis
Signs of an infected wound
- Heat
- New slough/ necrosis
- Increasing pain
- Increasing exudate
- Increasing odour
- Granulation tissue that comes out easily
- Fever
- Red streaks on skin around wound
What is slough
Wound exudate
Lighter, thinner, stringy consitency
Can be yellow/gray/white/green
What is eschar
Wound exudate
Darker (black/brown), thicker, harder consistency
How to describe woud
- site
- size
- colour
- wound bed
- wound exudate
- dry/moist wound tissue
- skin around wound
- smell
- pain
How to differentiate cellulitis vs erysipelas
Cellulitis has a more diffused border
Erysipelas has a more well-defined border
Risk factors for cellulitis
- Breach in epidermis
- Dry skin
- Diabetes
- Vascular insufficiency
- Chronic neuropathy
- Immunocompromised
- High BMI
Which blood test is useful in detecting necrotising fascitis
Creatinine
raised in nec fac
Which a/b to use for MRSA
NOT SEVERE
- tetracycline
- clindamycin
SEVERE
- vancomycin
- linezolid
Pathogenesis of necrotising fascitis
- Strep produces exotoxins
- Exotoxins break down connective tissue
- Dispersion of strep through deep tissues
Clinical signs of cellulitis
- red, hot, swollen skin
- tender to touch
- diffuse border
- +/- fever, rigors
Main investigation for osteomyelitis.
What does this show?
Xray
- Shows swelling, effusion in adjacent joint.
- May show sclerosis in late stages.
Main investigation for septic arthritis.
What does this show?
Joint aspiration
-Shows purulent fluid
Clinical signs of septic arthritis
- fever
- extremely restricted joint movement due to pain
