Warts

Question 1

Symptoms?

Answer 1

Rough, small growths or bumps that may be rough to the touch.

Small, fleshy white, tan, or pink bumps that may appear grainy or contain sprinkles of black pinpoint areas.

Feels firm and rough, can appear on fingers/knuckles/knees/palms.

Question 2

Questions to ask?

Answer 2

Where is/are the wart/s located on your body? (i.e., hands, wrists, face, neck, chest, forearms, knees, genital area, feet)

How long has/have the wart/s been present for?

Ask patient to describe the appearance of their wart/s and its severity (i.e., colour, size, shape, texture, whether they have a singular wart or more than one and whether it is painful or itchy

Check the following- Is your wart:
-Small? -Rough? -Hard? -Round? -Elevated? -Flat? -Painful?

Enquire if patient has experienced unusual/alarming symptoms, such as bleeds, changes in appearance of wart, if the wart has spread to other parts of the body and if the wart causes significant pain, discomfort, or embarrassment

From when the wart/s appeared have it/they got any worse or enlarged?

Have you received medical advice from your GP or another healthcare professional (for instance, have you been to hospital and been seen by a nurse?)

Have you already been diagnosed with a wart or received any examinations/test? (to perhaps rule out conditions such as skin cancer)

Have you had a wart/s before?
Do you have an idea of what may have caused your wart/s to occur?

Have you tried any medical treatments to treat your warts (e.g., creams, sprays, plasters?)
Are you on any other medication, that you’re not specifically taking to treat your wart?

Question 3

Red flags?

Answer 3

Recurring wart

Have a large or painful wart

The wart begins to bleed or changes in appearance

The wart appears on the face or genitalia

The patient is worried about a growth on their skin

Question 4

Treatment?

Answer 4

Topical:

• Keatolytic Salicylic acid
  (or Salicylic acid with lactic acid)

Bazuka gel
Salatac gel
Duofilm paint
Salactol paint

Apply DAILY, treatment may need to be continued for up to 3 months

OR
Medicated plasters, sprays (e.g., dimethyl ether propane freezing spray) and skin paints. It can take up to 3 months to complete the course;