Enfrentamiento de las infecciones de piel en el adulto / Managing adult skin infections

En la actualidad, las infecciones de piel y partes blandas forman parte de un alto porcentaje de las consultas en salud. Estas van desde infecciones leves, donde el manejo se realiza con tratamiento tópico, hasta aquellas con severo compromiso sistémico, requiriendo terapia antibiótica sistémica e incluso el desbridaje quirúrgico. En general, son producto de un desbalance entre los mecanismos de defensa de la barrera cutánea y los factores de virulencia y patogenicidad de los microorganismos que la afectan. Se pueden clasificar según distintos criterios, como por ejemplo, profundidad, gravedad, microorganismos involucrados y si estas son purulentas o no. El reconocer estas entidades clínicas es de suma importancia para llevar a cabo un adecuado tratamiento en los pacientes que presentan estas afecciones, ya que los diagnósticos erróneos llevan a las múltiples consultas con el consiguiente aumento de costos asociados en atención en salud.

Currently, skin and soft tissue infections are part of a high percentage of health consultations. These range from mild infections, where management is performed with topical treatment, to those with severe systemic compromise requiring systemic antibiotic therapy and even surgical debridement. In general, they are the product of an imbalance between the defense mechanisms of the skin barrier and the virulence and pathogenicity factors of the microorganisms that affect it, which can vary from bacterial, viral, fungal and parasites agents. Skin and soft tissue infections can be classified according to different criteria, such as depth, severity, microorganisms involved and whether they are purulent or not. Recognizing these clinical entities is of utmost importance to carry out adequate treatment in patients with these conditions, since erroneous diagnoses lead to multiple consultations with the consequent increase in costs associated with health care

The EGS grading scale for skin and soft-tissue infections is predictive of poor outcomes: a multicenter validation study.

INTRODUCTION: Over the last 5 years, the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma has developed grading scales for emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases. In a previous validation study using diverticulitis, the grading scales were predictive of complications and length of stay. As EGS encompasses diverse diseases, the purpose of this study was to validate the grading scale concept against a different disease process with a higher associated mortality. We hypothesized that the grading scale would be predictive of complications, length of stay, and mortality in skin and soft-tissue infections (STIs). METHODS: This multi-institutional trial encompassed 12 centers. Data collected included demographic variables, disease characteristics, and outcomes such as mortality, overall complications, and hospital and ICU length of stay. The EGS scale for STI was used to grade each infection and two surgeons graded each case to evaluate inter-rater reliability. RESULTS: 1170 patients were included in this study. Inter-rater reliability was moderate (kappa coefficient 0.472-0.642, with 64-76% agreement). Higher grades (IV and V) corresponded to significantly higher Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotizing Fasciitis scores when compared with lower EGS grades. Patients with grade IV and V STI had significantly increased odds of all complications, as well as ICU and overall length of stay. These associations remained significant in logistic regression controlling for age, gender, comorbidities, mental status, and hospital-level volume. Grade V disease was significantly associated with mortality as well. CONCLUSION: This validation effort demonstrates that grade IV and V STI are significantly predictive of complications, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Though predictive ability does not improve linearly with STI grade, this is consistent with the clinical disease process in which lower grades represent cellulitis and abscess and higher grades are invasive infections. This second validation study confirms the EGS grading scale as predictive, and easily used, in disparate disease processes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic/Epidemiologic retrospective multicenter trial, level III.

Pyoderma Gangrenosum: A Critical Appraisal.

GENERAL PURPOSE: To provide information about pyoderma gangrenosum (PG), including pathophysiology, diagnostic criteria, and treatment. TARGET AUDIENCE: This continuing education activity is intended for physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and nurses with an interest in skin and wound care. LEARNING OBJECTIVES/OUTCOMES: After participating in this educational activity, the participant should be better able to: ABSTRACT: Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an uncommon cutaneous disease, presenting with recurrent painful ulcerations most commonly on the lower extremities. The diagnosis is made according to a typical presentation, skin lesion morphology, skin biopsy, histopathology, and the exclusion of other etiologies. Classically, PG presents with painful ulcers with well-defined violaceous borders; other variants including bullous, pustular, and vegetative/granulomatous can also occur. Treatment of PG involves a combination of topical and systemic anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive medications, wound care, antimicrobial agents for secondary infections, and treatment of the underlying etiology. This article is a continuing education review of the literature with a focus on the clinical application of the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this challenging disease.

[Chronic wounds: differential diagnosis]. / Diferencijalna dijagnoza kronicnih rana.

Wound is a disruption of anatomic and physiologic continuity of the skin. According to the healing process, wounds are classified as acute and chronic wounds. A wound is considered chronic if standard medical procedures do not lead to the expected healing, or if the wound does not heal within six weeks. Chronic wounds are classified as typical and atypical. Typical wounds include ischemic, neurotrophic and hypostatic wounds. Diabetic foot and decubitus ulcers stand out as a specific entity among typical wounds. About 80 percent of chronic wounds localized on lower leg are the result of chronic venous insufficiency, in 5-10 percent the cause is of arterial etiology, whereas the remainder are mostly neuropathic ulcers. About 95 percent of chronic wounds manifest as one of the above-mentioned entities. Other forms of chronic wounds are atypical chronic wounds, which can be caused by autoimmune disorders, infectious diseases, vascular diseases and vasculopathies, metabolic and genetic diseases, neoplasm, external factors, psychiatric disorders, drug related reactions, etc. Numerous systemic diseases can present with atypical wounds. The primary cause of the wound can be either systemic disease itself (Crohn's disease) or aberrant immune response due to systemic disease (pyoderma gangrenosum, paraneoplastic syndrome). Although atypical wounds are a rare cause of chronic wounds, it should always be taken in consideration during diagnostic procedure.

[Skin and soft tissue infections: classification and epidemiology]. / Infezioni della cute e dei tessuti molli: classificazione ed epidemiologia.

In the present review, authors take into consideration the classification and the epidemiology of the skin and soft tissue infections (SSTIs), a set of commonly observed pathologies, which can present different features, relatively to site and localization, clinical characteristics, and aetiological agent, their severity being related to the depth of the interested sites. Given the variable presentation of SSTIs, an assessment of their incidence and prevalence is difficult. In general, the incidence of SSTIs has increased due to the ageing of the general population, the increased number of critically ill patients, the increased number of immunocompromised patients (HIV, cancer and organ transplant patients) and the recent emergence of multi-drug resistant pathogens.

Dermatopatias y embarazo: conducta obstétrica / Dermatoses and pregnancy: obstetric conduct

Se presenta la relación entre ciertas enfermedades cutáneas propias del embarazo y las eventuales lesiones presentes en el feto (en útero o al nacer). Así mismo, se hace énfasis en las medidas de estudio y seguimiento de la madre y del feto durante el embarazo. Se discuten las conductas a seguir en cada caso. El objeto fundamental de este trabajo es hacer más fácil la adecuada comunicación entre obstetras y dermatólogos

Dermatitis microbiana numular / Nummular microbial dermatitis

Introducción. La dermatitis microbiana numular (DMN) se ha reportado en México con una frecuencia de 0.5 a 6 por ciento de la consulta dermatológica. Se realizó este estudio con el objeto de conocer el comportamiento de la DMN en nuestra población. Material y métodos. Se estudiaron retrospectivamente 33 casos, de enero de 1996 a enero de 1997, en el Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez. Resultados. La DMN representa el 2.78 por ciento de la consulta de dermatología de primera vez. Predomina en hombres con 63 por ciento de los casos. La edad media fue de 4 años y 10.8 meses con una desviación estándar (DE) de 7.4 meses. La forma diseminada fue la más común, afectando con mayor frecuencia extremidades inferiores. El tiempo de evolución el diagnóstico fue de 8.8 meses con DE de 2.3 meses. Se evidenció foco infeccioso en 79 por ciento de los casos, siendo rinosinusitis y parasitosis los más comunes. La biometría hemática reportó eosinofilia en más de la mitad de los pacientes. Sólo se encontró asociación a dermatitis atópica y atopia en 5 casos. La primavera fue la estación con mayor prevalencia. El tratamiento fue con antibióticos y antiparasitarios sistémicos en 27 pacientes y antihistamínicos en 9. Sólo un paciente requirió esteroide tópico. Más del 70 por ciento evolucionaron satisfactoriamente. Conclusiones. Los hallazgos de este estudio son similares a los referidos en la literatura mundial respecto a epidemiología, cuadro clínico y asociación con enfermedades infecciosas

Distinguishing vesicular and pustular disorders in the neonate.

Vesicular and pustular disorders are common in the neonatal period. Most are benign, but several serious infectious and noninfectious diseases can present in the neonate. This review focuses on the clinical features of these disorders as well as recent advances in the field. The following diseases are discussed: erythema toxicum, transient neonatal pustular melanosis, miliaria, neonatal acne, eosinophilic folliculitis, mastocytosis, acropustulosis of infancy, incontinentia pigmenti, scabies, neonatal and congenital candidiasis, syphilis, neonatal herpes simplex infections, neonatal varicella, and staphylococcal infections.

Necrotizing lesions of soft tissues: a review.

Necrotizing lesions of the soft tissues are grave entities not infrequently seen in daily surgical practice. They may occur with epidemic proportions after natural disasters, representing a serious challenge to the surgeon since they are characteristically associated with high mortality rates unless an early diagnosis is made and prompt aggressive surgical management is initiated. Necrotizing fasciitis is the currently accepted generic term to encompass into a single category the diverse syndromes of progressive gangrenous infections of the skin and subcutaneous tissues. Necrotizing fasciitis must be viewed as a clinical entity rather than a specific type of infection: it is a clinical infection most commonly caused by a mixed aerobic/anaerobic synergistic polymicrobial combination. Zygomycetes may appear as major causal organisms (mucormycosis) and they should be actively searched for. Initial diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis is established through the characteristic physical signs. Gram stain, and, in some doubtful cases, through frozen-section tissue biopsy. Aggressive and urgent radical debridement is the key to survival, combined with wide-spectrum antibiotic therapy.

Treatment of bacterial skin and soft tissue infections.

Bacterial skin infections occur commonly and range in severity from mild to life threatening. The severity of skin infections, and their management and prognosis, can depend on the mechanism of infection, the skin structures involved and the infecting organism or organisms. Primary skin infections result from invasion of microorganisms through tiny breaks in the epidermis or from the spread of microorganisms through the bloodstream. Secondary infections arise from pre-existing trauma, burns or surgical wounds; infections involving the soft tissues underlying the skin are also discussed. These also frequently occur in areas of trauma, operation or ischemia. The cause, bacteriologic factors and management of skin infections were studied, with special attention to pyodermas, infections of the foot in diabetic patients and necrotizing soft tissue infections. Choice of appropriate antibiotic agents depends in large part on the infecting organism and patterns of antibiotic susceptibility. In necrotizing soft tissue infections, survival or limb salvage may depend on prompt surgical intervention. In these instances and in some of advanced primary skin infections in which bacteremia is involved, parenteral antibiotics are required. The available options are discussed and a report on the data with the combination agent ticarcillin disodium and clavulanate potassium is presented.

[Classification of HIV-associated acquired immunologic deficiency syndrome]. / Klassifizierung des HIV-assoziierten erworbenen Immundefektsyndroms.

Regarding the staging of HIV infection, there are several classification systems, but neither of them has universally been accepted. We tested a new staging system with 4 parameters: HIV antibodies, CD4/CD8 ratio, absolute count of CD4 + lymphocytes, and absolute count of leukocytes. This classification indicates a regular progression of immunodeficiency, 294 blood specimens were used for immunological staging. The correlation between the immunological staging and the severity of the disease proved the usefulness of this classification system.

Dermatologic manifestations of infection in the compromised host.

The skin occupies an important position in the prevention and evaluation of infection in patients who are immunocompromised. The skin can provide a portal of entry for both locally invasive and disseminated infection; and, not infrequently, skin lesions may be the first sign of disseminated infection from other primary sites. The first clinical principle in approaching this problem is that the skin must be protected from trauma, maceration, or alteration in its normal microbial flora. The second principle is that any lesion, no matter how innocuous, should be carefully evaluated in this patient population. Since the gross morphology of the lesion is so frequently modified by the altered inflammatory response of the immunocompromised patient, an aggressive biopsy approach is essential for diagnosis and therapy.