General practice Terapia 2018, 7 ( 366 ) : 54 - 59
The most common skin bacterial diseases in the practice of a family doctor
Summary:
Bacterial skin diseases are a common problem faced by family doctors in their daily work. The etiology of infection may be different in different regions, however the most common causes include streptococcal and staphylococcal infections. The clinical picture is usually sufficient to diagnose these diseases, although cultures from the lesions may be helpful in the selection of treatment, especially when first-line therapy proves to be ineffective. Common staphylococcal infections are infectious impetigo, folliculitis and furuncles. Impetigo is the most common in children, although it can occur at any age and has an image of characteristic honey-yellow crusts. Folliculitis is a relatively frequent complaint, but it seems to be a rare reason to report to the doctor through it being a self-limiting disease. Furuncles are also an inflammatory condition affecting the hair follicles, but the inflammatory process goes much deeper and an incision and drainage are often helpful in treatment. Recurrent furuncles are often associated with S. aureus colonization in the nasal cavity and therefore in this case, one should think about decolonization of the frontal nares. In addition, the treatment of all the above-mentioned diseases is similar. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, topical or systemic antibiotic therapy should be applied. The most common streptococcus inflammation of the skin in the practice of a family doctor is erysipelas, which is a form of cellulitis. The infection’s image is characteristic. It is an erythematous lesion clearly marked from the surrounding healthy tissue and raised above its level. Local symptoms are often accompanied by chills and fever. It has a tendency to relapse, especially when the initiation of treatment is delayed and lymphatic vessels are damaged. The first-line treatment is oral antibiotic therapy.
Keywords: infectious skin diseases, impetigo, folliculitis, furuncle, erysipelas, cellulitis
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