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Abstract
There are many common skin infections that may affect children at any time. Certain conditions may be recurrent, while others tend to result in the child developing immunity and do not recur. Skin infections may be bacterial, fungal or viral in origin, and the article outlines some of the most common of these and the management options available.
Keywords
Bacterial infection, dermatology nursing, fungal infection, paediatrics, skin infection, viral infection
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SKIN CONDITIONS ARE the most common reason for attendance at GP surgeries (Sibley 2012), with skin infections accounting for approximately 785 cases per 10,000 people (Schofield et al 2011). With the reduction in uptake of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine, nurses may see more patients with viral rashes or exanthemata. An exanthem is a widespread rash that occurs primarily in children, and may be caused by toxins, medications or microorganisms such as viruses. Skin infections may be bacterial, fungal or viral in origin.
There are several skin infections that are particularly prevalent in children, notably impetigo, tinea, molluscum contagiosum and viral warts. Bacterial and fungal infections usually require systemic or topical medications. For viral infections, the advice is often to withhold active treatment, as most infections will resolve spontaneously with time.
Bacterial infections
There are numerous forms of bacteria that live on the surface of human skin, many being beneficial or harmless (Grice and Segre 2011). However, there are times when bacteria can penetrate the barrier function of the skin and result in infection. For most people, bacterial skin infections range from mild impetigo to the occasional abscess, rarely cause major problems and are managed within primary care or an outpatient setting (Alter et al 2011). However, there are occasions when bacterial infections may be potentially life threatening, such as with the serious but rare toxin-mediated condition staphylococcal scalded skin syndrome.
Impetigo
Diagnosis Impetigo is usually caused by Staphylococcus aureus or Staphylococcus pyogenes. These bacteria are extremely contagious and the first sign of infection may be small blisters that develop a few days...