Bacterial Skin Infections

Question 1

Impetigo

Answer 1

Acute, contagious infection with organisms carried in the nose cause by Staphylococci or Streptococci

Question 2

Impetigo sx and tx

Answer 2

Vesicles, pustules, honey-colored crust on red base; tx is topical antibacterials like Bactroban

Question 3

Abscesses

Answer 3

Red, tender, inflamed skin with a collection of pus and red, inflamed borders; may feel fluctuant (fluid-filled)

Question 4

Abscess tx

Answer 4

Incision and drain (I&D), antibiotics

Question 5

Furuncle

Answer 5

Bacterial infection of the hair follicle

Question 6

Carbuncle

Answer 6

Painful, deep swell of skin caused by bacteria

Question 7

Tx for carbuncles and furuncles

Answer 7

I&D and antibiotics

Question 8

Cellulitis

Answer 8

Bacterial infection of skin and tissue caused by Staph or strep bacteria that spreads to surrounding tissue

Question 9

Causes of cellulitis

Answer 9

Animal bite, bug bite, cut; initial injury that spreads to surrounding healthy tissue

Question 10

Where is cellulitis usually located?

Answer 10

Lower extremities

Question 11

Cellulitis sx

Answer 11

Red, pain, swollen and warm; may be blisters

Question 12

Is cellulitis contagious?

Answer 12

Not contagious but may spread to lymph nodes and bloodstream

Question 13

Cellulitis tx

Answer 13

PO systemic, IV depending on severity; mark the spot to watch for spread

Question 14

MRSA

Answer 14

Methicillin resistant staph infection; caused by a variety of Staph, a bacteria that naturally occurs on the skin, that is resistant to many antibiotics

Question 15

Hospital-acquired MRSA and tx

Answer 15

Associated with invasive procedures like surgery, IV tubes, artificial joints; treated with IV vancomycin or antibiotics like Xyvax

Question 16

community-acquired MRSA and tx

Answer 16

Condition that is spread person to personal often begins as a single boil; treated with Bactrim or dicloxacillin

Question 17

People at high risk for MRSA

Answer 17

Ppl living in crowded areas, high school wrestlers, childcare workers

Question 18

MRSA sx

Answer 18

Warm, purulent, fever, quickly developing abscesses; can also infect urine, lymph, sputum

Question 19

Where can MRSA affect?

Answer 19

Deep in body—bones, joints, surgical wounds, blood, heart valves, lungs—can be life-threatening

Question 20

Bactroban as prophylaxis

Answer 20

Bactroban nasal ointment may be given prior to surgery to prevent infection (benefits of this are not certain)

Question 21

Main types of skin cancer

Answer 21

Basal cell, squamous cell, melanoma

Question 22

Precancerous lesions

Answer 22

Actinic keratosis; benign lesions due to damage by UV rays; red, scaly plaques common in fair skin

Question 23

Solar lentigos

Answer 23

Benign, age/liver spots; more common with fair skin

Question 24

Risk factors for skin cancer

Answer 24

Women before age 49, men after age 49, fair skin, increases with age; 5-year survival rate is worse in dark skin

Question 25

Basal cell carcinoma

Answer 25

Most common, least malignant; most curable–slow and metastasizes the least

Question 26

Characteristics of basal cell cancer

Answer 26

nodular form begins as small, flesh color or pink dome shape bump; translucent, shiny, pearly, forms an ulcer with a shiny border

Question 27

squamous cell cancer

Answer 27

2nd most frequent type of skin cancer, inc with sun exposure, cure with early tx; can metastasize to lymph nodes or internal organs

Question 28

Squamous cell characteristics

Answer 28

red and scaly, keratotic, slightly elevated, irregular border often with shallow, chronic ulcer

Question 29

Melanoma

Answer 29

direct cancer of the melanocytes; cells grow on skin and spread down into the epidermis and dermis; can also form in the eyes and under the nails and invade blood and lymphatic vessels that metastasize

Question 30

Risk factors for melanoma

Answer 30

fam hx, blond/red hair, presence of freckling on the upper back, hx of 3+ blistering sunburns before age 20, hx of 3+ years of outside jobs as a teen

Question 32

Most common form of melanoma

Answer 32

Superficial spreading melanoma

Question 33

Most aggressive type of skin cancer

Answer 33

Nodular form of melanoma

Question 34

Eczema

Answer 34

Group of skin condition causing skin inflammation and irritation (not contagious); caused by overactive immune system

Question 35

Atopic eczema puts you at a higher risk of…

Answer 35

Asthma and hay fever; inherited

Question 36

Char of atopic eczema

Answer 36

Priorities, rash on face/knees/wrists/hands/feet, skin very dry/thick/scaly, lesions may appear reddish and then turn burn, lesions can ooze and crust, exacerbated by heat, cold, detergent, upper respiratory infection, stress

Question 37

Eczema tx

Answer 37

Vasoline, aquaphor to keep moist and relieve itching/prevent infection, cold compresses, OTC hydrocortisone and immune modulator meds (be cautious bc risk of cancer)

Question 38

Psoriasis

Answer 38

Long-term chronic condition most commonly beginning in young adulthood; may be autoimmune disorder or overactive immune system, linked with obesity and vascular disease

Question 39

Psoriasis characterized by…

Answer 39

Skin cells grow too quickly causing skin to be thick, white, silvery, or have red patches—plaques; skin does not flake off like normal skin

Question 40

Psoriasis tx

Answer 40

Keep skin moist, UV light, corticosteroid creams/lotions, topical meds, immune modulating meds

Question 41

Psoriatic arthritis

Answer 41

Priorsis over skin with arthritis (tx with immune modulating meds)