Bacterial skin infections in the elderly: diagnosis and treatment.
Skin and soft tissue infections are quite common in elderly people. A number of special conditions and circumstances need to be considered in the diagnosis and therapy. It is important to try to establish the causative organism, exclude other cutaneous disorders and identify precipitating factors. T...
| Publicado en: | Drugs & Aging Vol. 19; no. 5; pp. 331 - 343 |
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| Autores principales: | , |
| Formato: | pictorial review tables/charts Journal Article |
| Publicado: |
Springer Nature
2002
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| Acceso en línea: | Ver este registro en EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=106838512&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ccm uiTerm: 106838512 longDbName: CINAHL Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: dissinfo: jinfo: jid: 1170229X C5B jtl: Drugs & Aging issn: 1170229X maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: 2002 vid: 19 iid: 5 pid: 237 pub: Springer Nature place: New York, New York artinfo: ui: 106838512 2003081688 10.2165/00002512-200219050-00002 NLM12093320 106838512 ppf: 331 ppct: 12 formats: fmt: @attributes: type: P tig: atl: Bacterial skin infections in the elderly: diagnosis and treatment. aug: au: Laube S Farrell AM affil: Department of Dermatology, University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, United Kingdom sug: subj: Bacterial Infections Diagnosis Bacterial Infections Drug Therapy Skin Diseases, Infectious Diagnosis Skin Diseases, Infectious Drug Therapy Aged Aged, 80 and Over Antibiotics Therapeutic Use Antiinfective Agents, Local Therapeutic Use Bacterial Infections Etiology Cellulitis Drug Therapy Clinical Trials Diagnosis, Differential Erythema Drug Therapy Fasciitis, Necrotizing Drug Therapy Furunculosis Drug Therapy Impetigo Drug Therapy Larval Therapy Skin Diseases, Infectious Etiology United Kingdom Aged: 65+ years Aged, 80 & over ab: Skin and soft tissue infections are quite common in elderly people. A number of special conditions and circumstances need to be considered in the diagnosis and therapy. It is important to try to establish the causative organism, exclude other cutaneous disorders and identify precipitating factors. Treatment modalities include antiseptics, topical and systemic antibacterials, dressings and biotherapy. Skin infections presenting with erythema, blisters, pustules, and ulcerations or in body folds are described in detail. Cellulitis and infected ulcers are the most commonly encountered cutaneous infections in the elderly. Accurate and quick diagnosis and treatment are imperative to prevent significant morbidity and mortality. Appropriate antibacterials, antiseptics and dressings are necessary depending on the severity of the clinical presentation and resistance patterns. Laboratory tests, such as skin swabs, to establish the exact pathogen take time and the results might represent colonisation rather than infection of the skin. Cellulitis should be clinically distinguished from erysipelas and necrotising fasciitis. The latter is a life-threatening condition, which in the majority of cases requires surgical debridement of the infected tissue. Blisters and honey-coloured crusts are typical features of impetigo. It is very contagious and close contacts should be examined. Folliculitis is a commonly seen skin infection, which often responds to the use of antiseptics and topical antibacterials. More severe pustular skin eruptions, such as furunculosis and carbunculosis, usually require treatment with systemic antibacterials. Intertrigo and erythrasma have a predilection for the body folds, especially the axillae and groin, and topical therapy is usually sufficient. Secondary skin infections are often the result of persistent pruritus associated with increasing dryness of the aging skin. Emollients and antihistamines are useful measures. Primary cutaneous disorders and systemic diseases should be excluded with the aid of appropriate investigations, such as blood tests and skin biopsy. Staphylococcus aureus and beta-haemolytic streptococci are the most common causative organisms of cutaneous infections. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: pictorial review tables/charts Journal Article ougenre: Article language: English refInfo: holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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